The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-11
Original.
History of Columbia County.
NUMBER VI.

There were various attempts, more or less
successful and more or less honest, to dvest
the title of the Indians to the soil of the State
of Pennsylvania. The first purchase was in
July, 1851 and the last, under the proprieta-
ries, at Fort Stanwix, on the site of the pres
ent town of Rome, on the Erie canal in the
State of New York, in 176S. The final pur.
chase of lands within the charter bounds
was made by and in the name of the Com
monwealth, at Fort Mcintosh, now Beaver
in October, 1874. There were repeated and
persistent allegations of fraud and forgery
made by the Indians, and some of them
were apparently well founded.
A general discussion relating to all the
matters in dispute was had at the council at
Easton in July and August 1856, when and
where the Governor, Hon. William Denny
and four members of his council and about
forty citizens of Philadelphia met Teedyus-
cung, the Delaware chief, king of the Lena
pi and Wanami, two Delaware tribes and OF
the Monseys and Mohickons. At an adj
journed council at the same place in No
vember, 1865, the same subject was brought
up; and when the Governor asked the
chieftan to state his grievances, the Della
ware said: "This ground that is under me,
stamping with his foOt,) is mine and has
been taken from me by fraud and forgery"
and he proceeded to explain and insist upon
his view and construction of the treaties and
deeds of conveyance. At subsequent
council at Easton in July, 1857, between the
same principal parties, the same charges
were made and pressed home. Again at
Easton, in October, 1853, a deed was exc
cuted releasing to the Indians Il large
amount Of the territory embraced in that of
July, l754; but the whole difficulty was not
settled, and it was up again in 17G1.
At the council in July, 1867, at Easton,
Teedyuscung discussing the question of I'M
sold lands, said, among other things: GAS
we intend to settle at Wyomen, we want to
have certain boundaries fixed between you
and US, and certain tract of land fixed,
which it shall not be lawful for us or our
children ever to sell, nor for you or any of
your children ever to buy. We would have
the boundaries fixed all around agreeable to
the draught we give you, there he drew a
draught with chalk on the table, that we
may not be pressed on any side, but have
certain country fixed for our own use, and
the use of our children forever"
To this the Governor replied; "As to the
lands between Shamokin and Wyomen, the
proprietaries have never bought them of the
Indians, and therefore never claimed them
under any Indian purchase, that he was
pleased with the choice they had made of
that place, and would use all the means in
his power to have these lands settled upon
him agreeable to his request" &c.
The draft made by the Delaware chief, as
nearly as it can be traced from the copy be-
fore me, begins on the west bank of the Sus-
quehanna opposite the mouth of Shamokin
creek below Sunbury, thence to the mouth
of Lycomng creek, thence along the east
bank of it, by what were known as Bur-
nett's hills, south of Towanda creek, and in
an easterly circular direction to near Homes
dale, and from that point in southwesterly
direction to the beginning. The territory
thus demanded and agreed to be set off to
him for the tribes he represented comprised
about 100000 Of acres, and included, in
whole or in part, the counties of Union, Ly-
coming, Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming, Luz
zerne, Columbia, Montour and Northumber-
land. Houses were built for them at Wyo-
ming, and missionaries sent to them. But
the great chieitain did not long enjoy his
rest lie was burned to death in his own
house at Wyoming in 1863, but not without
suspicison Of arson and murder; and within
five years thereafter was held the treaty at
Fort Stanwix, already mentioned, whereby
not only the aforesaid Wyoming Reserya-
tion, but also large body of other lands
were purchased, This treaty included the
territory, in whole or in part, of the coun-
ties of Northumberland, Columbia, Luzerne,
Wayne, Susquehanna, Bradford, Lyooming,
Clearfeld, Indiana, Armstrong, Cambria,
Somerset, Fayette, Westmoreland, Alleghe-
ny, Washington, Greene, Clinton, Montour,
and Wyoming.