Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-11-12
Logan, the Mingo Ohief---Did he
Make That Speeoh2
Tho Baltimore Americun saws

The Baltimore Americun SAYS
| "All bchoolboys have unquostioninl
faith in the authenticity OF speech
which Thomas Jefferson has bandec
down in his Notes on Virginia a,
having been delivered by Logan, the
famous 'Mingo Chief But Mr.. M. Ii
Addison has written letter to the
Cumberland ,News which is intended
TO shake the belief of such Juveniles as
read it. He attempts to SHOW that
Logan never made any such speech,
and that tho facts therein stated are
not true. Mr.. Jefferson, in the appen,
dix TO his Notes says that he heard
the story from some person in Will
liamsburg, whose name be had forgot
ten. This man may have gotten il
from some other man, who may have
invented il, or probably ho was tho
author Of the supposed fiction himself.
The proof Of its genuineness seems to
rest entirely on the fact that Mr. JEFF.
ferson seems 10 have believed it. Mr..
Addison says that there never was
any such man as "ColoneP Crosap,
whom Logan charges with the mur-
der of his family. There was Gap.
tain Cresap in those days, but he was
no more responsible for the killing of
Representatives than he was for the
murder Of Abel. We do not know
how much truth there is in this sketch
OF the Mingo Chief written by Mr..
Addison.
"The first authentic account of him
begins in 1870. He was then very
friendly TO the white settlers, and on.
joyed their confidence to so great an
extent that Judge Brown a pioneer,
near the present site of Brownsville,
Pennsylvania, from whom the town
probably derived its name, said to
him that he was the best specimen Of
humanity, white or red, he had ever
encountered But in his subsequent
acquaintance with white men, he &C.
quired some Of the vices, among which
was q strong love for whisky, which,
as often was, and is yet tho case with
white men, ruined him, by increasing
and strengthening his vices till they
destroyed or overcame his virtues,
and when he became an enemy be
was ms Ioted for his savage cruelty,
as he had formerly been for his fidelity
when friendly.
"ln 1880, at an Indian council, he
got drunk and struck, and as he sup
posed, killed bis wife. Fearing the
vengeance of her friends, he Hed-al-
though in his repuled speech he is re-
ported TO have said he would not turn
on bis heel TO save his lfe-and was
shot dead by another Indian.
"Mr. Addison further says that Lo.
gan was tho son of an Indian chief in
the Susquehanna valley, but the time
or place of bis birth seems as uncer.
tain as that of the Massachusetts, In |
dian, who said he was born in ''Nan-
tucket, Cape Cod, and all along the
Shore" We do not know whether
Mr.. Addison has consulted oil the au- |
thorities upon this point or not, but |
be seems to have overlooked Sherman
Days Historical Collections of Penn |
syIvania.' He tells us that Logan
was the son of Shkellimus, chief of
the Cayugas, who dwelt at Shamokin,
and in tho year l7i2 was converted 10 |
Christianity by the Moravian mission. |
aries. Shikelimus had great esteem |
for James Logan, Secretary of the
Province, and ho named bis son for
him.,. Judge Brown (whom Mr.. Addi-
son quotes) did not live near the
present site of Brownsville but moro
than hundred miles further east, 10
the Juniata valley. In those days his
farm on Kshicoquilas creek was in
cludcd in Cumberland county, but
since then Mifilin and Perry counties
have been carved out of the territory
north Of the Kttanning mountain,
which formerly belonged TO Cumber-
land. Browns Mills (or Reedsville), },
which is evidently the town alluded
to by Mr.. Addison, is about six miles |
from Lewistown, Mifflin county. Lo-
gan's spring and the site Of his cabin
are near Wy.