The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-05
GENERAL JOHN GIBSON.
Sketch of the Life of the Secretary
of Indiana Territory.
Dunmore's Expedition, and the Speech of
Logan, the Mingo Chief-Indiana in
the Dawning of Its Dawn.

Written for the Journal by William Wesley Woollen
John Gibson Secretary of Indiana Terri
tory from its organization until it became
State, and for a while acting Governor of the
Territory, was born at Lancaster, Pa, May %,
1740 He received a good education, and
when eighteen years old joined General
Forbes's expedition against Fort Du Quesne,
which stood on the present site of Pittsburg.
The expedition was successful, resulting in
the capture of the fort, and when peace was
declared young Gibson settled at Fort Pitt,
formerly Du Quesne, as an Indian trader.
Soon afterward he was taken captive by In
dians, and, with other white men, condemned
to be burned at the stake An aged squaw,
however, who had lost son in battle, adopted
the young trader, and thereby saved his
life. He remained with the Indians several
years, and learned their language, manners
and customs. During his residence with
them he maintained conjugal relations with
sister of Logan, the chieftain made immor-
tai bv his speech on the murder of his family.
The life he was compelled to lead among the
Indians did not suit Gibson and he de-
termined to abandon it. A suitable oppor-
tunity Offering he left his savage associates,
returned to Fort Pitt, and resumed his bust
ness as trader.
In 1774 Mr.. Gibson accompanied Lord
Dunmore In his march against the Shawanee
towns. Previous to this expedition the
family of Logan, including his sister, known
as "Gibson's squaw," were killed at Yellow
creek by family named Greathouse. The
Indians, at the time of their murder, were on
friendly visit to the Greenhouses and their
'untimely taking Off was an act of treachery
of the 6asest kind. Logan laid the blame of
the foul murders at the door of Colonel
Cresap, celebrated Indian fighter of that
day, but history exonerates Cresap from the
charge. In a deposition made at Pittsburg,
on the 4th of April, $780, General Gibson
gives this account of Dunmore's expedition,
and of Logan's celebrated speech:
This deponent further saith that in the year
l774 he accompanied LORD Dunmere on the ex
pedltion against the Shawanses and other Indians
On the Scioto. that on their arrival within if
teen miles OF the towns they were met by a flag
and white man by the name of Elliott, who in
formed Lord Dunmore that the chiefs of the
halt his army and send in SEINE person who IN
qerstood their Language; that this deponent, at
the request OF Lord Dunmore and the whole of
the officers with him, went in; that on his ar
rival at the town Logan, the Indian, came to
where this depsnent was sitting With Cornstalk
and other ohiefs of the Shawanees and asked him
TO walk out with him: that they went into
copse OF wood, where they sat down,
snce of to s The sDssCS
nearly as related by Mr.. Jefferson In his "Notes
on the State of Virginia." that he, the depenent,
golu hlne thaf 1t was not Colonel Cresap who ad
nnrderd bis relatives, and although his son, Cap
Tain michaei Cresap, was with party who had
Killed Shawanee chief and other Indians, yet he
not present when his Nogan'sj relatives
were killed at Bakers, near the mouth of Vel.
low creek, on the Ohio; that this depenent, on
his return to camp, delivered the speech to Lord
punmoPe, and that the murders pe-petrated as
above were considered ultimately the cause
OF the war OF 1774 commonly called Cresap's
war The speech referred to was as follows:
u appeal TO any white man to say, If he ever
not meat; if he sver came cold and naked, and he
clothed ebs nj him not not: During the course of
Logan ia rsma,n Long id. and bloody war
advocate of peace. Such was my love for the
whites, that my eountrymen pointed they
passed and said: Logan is the friend of white
men, had even thought to have lived with
you, but for the Injuries of one man, Colonel
Cresap, who last spring, in cold blood and I'M
not even sparing my women and children There
runs not drop Of my blood in the veins OF any
living creature. This called on me for revenge.
have sought it; 1 have killed many; have
fully glutted my vengeance; for my country,
rejoice at the beams of peace. But do NOT har-
Dor a thought that mine is the Joy of fear Lo-
gan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel
giant Not onel"
On the breaking out of the revolutionary
war, Colonel Gibson raised a regiment and
marched at its head to the scene of HOSTILE
ties. He and his regiment were with the
army at New York, and remained with it
during its retreat through the Jerseys Soon
after this he was assigned to the command of
the western frontier position he was adj
mirably qualified to fill. When the war had
ended, and the independence of the colonies
was assured, he returned to Pittsburg and
resumed his former avocation of trader.
In 1888 General Gibson was elected a menu
Der of the convention that made the first con-
stltution of Pennsylvania. Subsequently he
was, for several years, judge of the Court of
Common Pleas of Allegheny county, and at
the same time he served as general of the
State militia.
In April, 1898, President Washington ap-
pointed Benjamin Lincoln, of Massachusetts
Beverly Randolph, of Virginia, ana Timothy
Pickering, OF Pennsylvania, commissioners to
treat with the Indians northwest of the river
Ohio. These gentlemen requested General
Gibson, under date of May 26, 1893, Ito point
out the most suitable persons for Interpreters,
and we request your aid in engaging them"
etc. They also asked him to procure for
them $4,000 white wampum, to use in their
negotiations with the Indians. At that time
General Gibson was general of the Pennsyl-
vania militia, and under date of July IL,
1874; he wrote Governor Mtfln as follows:
II have written to the different inspectors of
nv division, pressing them to have the men
ready agreeably to the requisiton of the
acknowledgement, and you may rely on my
using every means in my power for the pro-
lection OF the western frontiers"
The historian of st. Glars defeat gives this
account of the Gibson family; "Colonel
George Gibson, who was MORALLY wounded
at ST. Glars defeat, was the father of Gen
eral George Gibson, of the War Department,
and of the late chief justice of Pennsylvania
He was the brother of General John Gibson,
commonly called by the nom de guerre
Horsehead,' the well-known Indian inter-
prefer in Dunmore's war. Colonel George