The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-11-03
Che 8eAfura 6azgtte.
OUR LOCAL HISTORY.

HAPFTs fMHNS1CFeS
road from Loud0n @crOSs tle AileGnts-
mics: First nOuriDs-mii1s In BedfOrd
! County, Ge.
The occupation BY "squatters," OF
lands owned by the Indians, referred to
previously, was only temporarily him
dered by the efforts of the provincial
authorities. The intrepid adventures
still persisted in occupying these lands,
and finally the Penns found it necessary
for the peace of the Province, to make
an effort to extend the boundaries Of
their possessions by purchase from the
savage proprietors. Accordingly, at a
I treaty in Albany, in 1854, Thomas and
Richard Penn purchased the whole Ju-
nitta Valley from some Of the Indian
Sac, ,Iems, for 6400! But those chiefs OF
the iGdian tribes, who We're not present
ut this treaty, refused to regard il Is
! binding upon them, and pronounced
I the trans,, ton a fraud. "They said
they did lot understand the points Of
/ the compass, and if the line was so run
rs to include the west branch of the
F., Snsquehanna, they would never agree
to it." According tn Nmith's Laws, i,ol.
xxi, p. l2G, "thc Iant' where the Shaw
nee and Ohio Indians lived, amt The
I hunting-ground Of the ne.'aWarcs, the
! Nanticokes, and the TupeiOs, We're all
included" So decided and general was
the dissatisfaction OF the indians, that
in order TO keep what few ren,aiued
/ from being alienated, the pr0pria -ors
/ found it necessary to cede back to then,
at treaty held in Easton, in October,
1913, all the land lying north and west
of the A!leghany mountains, within
! theprovince. - Jones Juniata Valley,
/ ?. 81. The "squatters' stin continuing
their trespasses upon the Indian lands,
the Provincial Council passed the 1ol-
lowing severe enactment, in February,
/ I7G8:
/ THAT if any person settled upon he
unpurchaSed lands, neglected or refused
/ to remove from the same within thirty
days after they Were required 50 10 do
| by persons to be appointed for that pur-
/ pose by the Governor, or By his pr0cla-
nation, or, having 50 removed, should
return to sach settlement, or the settle
ment of any other person, with or with
out family, to remain and settle on
such lands, every such person 50 neglect
/ ing or refusing TO remove, or returning
/ 10 settle Is aforesaid, or that should set
J tie after the requisitiOn or notice afOre-
said. being legally convicted, was 70 be
punished with death, without the BEN
! eft of clergy"
But this piece Of legislation did not
have any effect upon the dOgaed persis-
I tence OF the "squatters." in sact il was
never executed, tho offenders against
its provisions were not wanting. The
result was, as before stated, the hostility
Of the Indians and the massacre of ma
ny of the settlers. During the wars
with the incensed red men, large mum
/ bers of the Inhabitants fed to the more
thickIy populated sections. In 1863,
peace was made with the neighboring
tribes, and in October, 1854, the Ohio
! Indians also cejsed their raids up0n the
( settlements, Which enabled the scatter
cd inhabitants tn return to their homes
and resume the cultivation and im-
provcment Of the lands they Formerly
held by "the right Of possession"
The French war was raging when the
fr.t important settlements were made
! i'll the region now ineIuded within the
limits u Bedford county The indians,
/ having formed M alliance with the
French, we're very hostile to the new
/ invaders Of their Iunting-grounds and
resisted their encroachment5 with great
determination and .erOcity. Hundreds
OF the settIers, without distinction us to
age or sex, were killed by the savages.
The only protection afforded the set
tIers against the assaults OF these i'm
placable enemies, W;:s = line OF small
forts, erected By the inhabitants them
selves, the principal Of which and the
| first erected, vas the one located where
the town Of Bedford now stands. There
were others IT various points, known as
Fort Littlcton, lthe location Of which
i at present included within the con-
fines of Fulton county, Martins Fort,
piper'ss Fort. ard W;Bg&In's Fort. The
only ore Of these ever occu pied hy Brit
in trooE3, was that at Bedford The
Provisional Records SHOW that during
the hepredations Of the Indians, just
spoken of, y plantations were burned,
and, that Of "93 families which settled
in the Coves and C0molloways, II were
either killed or carried into captivity"
Numerous Others, Of whom tradition
alone gives account, met with similar
fate.
We are indebted to a paper prepared
many years since, by Hon. George Burd,
fleceased,l and John Mower, Esq, of
this place, for the following authentic
statements in regard to the early settle
rnent OF t;hecounty:
"The original white population was
composed of Scotcf-Irish, and their de-
scendants, constituting the frontier set
tiers. It is said by one whose opportu-
mites for accuracy Of research, were IA
vorable, that the county did not pros
per much until 1850, or thereabouts,
when the Germans from franklin, Cum
J. Io,.!hy,J STn-l a,,I i,,,loe ~ l,r,~.,,> ~