Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1875-12-24
SUNBURY, Pa. FRIDAY MORNING. DECEMBER a. 1875

that l was killed likewise. Colonel Kelly
went into the fort to prepare her mind tt
= see me; l took my belt of scalps of
and handed them to an officer TO keep
Human nature was not sufficient to stand
the interview. She had just lost hus
and son, and one had returned to take hel
by the hand, and one too, that she suppos.
was killed.
The day after, L went to Sunbury where
L was received with much joy; my scalps
were exhibited, the cannon was fired, sc.
Before my return commission had been
sent me as ensign Of a company to be CON-
manded by Capt. Thomas Robinson
this was, as | understood, part of
the quota which Pennsylvania had
to raise for the continental line. One
Joseph Alexander was commissioned as
lieutenant, but did not accept his commis-
sion. The summer af 1880 was spent in
recruiting service our company was or
| ganized, and returned for the defence of
the frontier service. In February, 17O1,
L was promoted to lieutenancy, and en-
tered upon the active duty of an
officer, by heading scouts and as
Capt. Robinson was no woodsman
nor marksman, he preferred that l
should encounter the danger and
head the scouts We kept up a contin-
nal chain of Scouts around the from
tier settlements from the north to
the west branch Susquehanpa, by the
waters of Little Fishing Greek, Chilisqua-
que, and Muncy, SC. In the spring of
17Sl we built fort on widow M'Clure's
plantation, called M'CIures fort, where
our provisions were stored. In the sum-
mer of 1871 man was taken prisoner in
Buffalo Valley, but made his escape; he
came in and reported that there we're
about three hundred Indians on Sinnema-
ming, hunting and laying in store oil pro-
visions, and would divide into small guam
titles and attack the whole chain of the
frontiers, at the same time on the same
day. Col. Samuel Hunter selected a COM
pany of five to reconnoitre, viz -
Capt. Campbell, Peter and Michael
Groves, LIEUT.. Cramer and myself
the party was called the Groves party
We carried with US three weeks provisions
and proceeded up the West Branch with
much caution and care we reached the
Slnnemahoning, but made no discovery
except old tracks; we marched up the
SinnemahOning so far that we were salts
fed it was false report. We returned
and little below the Sinnemahoning, near
night, we discovered q smoke :. we were
confident that it was a party of Indians
whom we must. have passed by or they
got there some other way we discovered
that thegs was large party, how many
we could not tell, but prepared for the at
tack. As soon as it was dark we now pri-
med our rifles, sharpened our flints, exam
iued our tomahawk handles, and all being
ready We waited with the greatest impa-
tience, and all laid down: the time came
and with the utmost silence we advanced,
trailing our rifles in one hand and the
tOmahawk in the other. The night
was warm we found some of them roll
ed in their blankets rod or two from
the fires. Having got amongst them, we
first handled our tOmahawks they arose
like dark cloud /; we now tried our shots,
and raised the war YELL they took to flight
in the utmost confusion, but few taking
time to pick up their rifles. We remained
masters of the ground and all their plum
der, and took several scalps. 1t was
a party of twenty-five or thirty,
which had been as IOw-a-----as
Penn's Creek, an d had killed and scalped
two or three families we found several
scalps of different ages, which they had
taken, and large quantity of domestic
cloth, which we carried to Northumber
land and gave to the distressed who had
escaped the tomahawk and scalping knife.
In December, 17Sl, our company was or
dered to Lancaster We descended the riy
er in boats to Middletown, where our or
were countermanded, and we were order |
ed to Reading, Berks county, where we |
were joined by party of the third and |
fifth Pennsylvania regiments and n COM
pany of Congress regiment. We took |
charge of the Hessians taken prisoners
with General Burgoyne. Ia the latter |
part of March at the opening of the cam
paign of 1892 we were ordered by Congress |
to our respective stations. L marched /
RobinsOn's company to Northumberland |
where Thomas Chambers joined us, who |
had been recently commissioned as an en-
sign Of our company. We halted at Nor
cumberland two or three days for our
men to wash and rest from thence ensign |
Chambers and myself were ordered to
Muncy, Samuel Wallis plantation, there
to make a stand and rebuild Fort Muncy,
which had been destroyed by the enemy.
We reached that station and built a small
block house for the storage of our provis-
ons about the 10th or 11th ofApril. Capt.
Robinson came on with Esquire Culbert
son, Jarres Daughterty, William M'Grun
iy and Mr.. BaTkley l was ordered to Sc
ect twenty or thirty men with these gentle
nen, ,anG to proceed up the west branch to
he Big Island and thence up the Bald Eagle
Greek, to the place where Mr.. Culbers-
son had been killed. On the 18th of April
Il night, we reached the place, and en-
:amped for the night on the morning of
10Th, we were attacked by eighty-iive In
lians. 1t was a hard fought battle Es-
luire Culbertson and two others made
heir escape and l think we had nine kill
I'd, and the rest of us made prisoners.
We were all stripped OF our clothing, ex-
;epting our pantaloons. When they took
,f my shirt they discovered my commits
ion our commissions were written on
parchment, and carried in a silk case hung
With ribbon in our bOsOms several got
lOld of it, and one fellow cut the ribbon
With his knife, and succeeded in obtaining
t. They took us a little distance from the
)attle ground, made the prisoners sit down