The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-11-15
IN THE GAYS OF LONG AGO.
An Interesting Story Of Happenings in Col.
0nial Days.


The Danville SIN prints the follow.
ing from the diary of Colonel Burd,
Commandant at Fort Augusta:
"Through the courtesy of Robert
w. Russell we have been permitted to
examine very interesting volume
made up of records of Pennsylvania
when this commonwealth was a colony.
The first division of the book, about
500 pages, is devoted to Pennsylvania
marriages occurring between the years
I742 and 1868. The full name of the
contracting parties is given with the
date of the marriage. Every person
with any claim to pioneer blood ought
to be able to substantiate it by point
ing out his ancestors in the list OF mar
riages. 1t not there, then in the list
of "persons naturaized," which forms
the next division, or IN the list of "ot-
ficers and soldiers in the provincial
service" which follows:
The most interesting division of the
old volume is the journal of Col.
James Burd while building Fort Aug
usta, at Shamokin, as the book locates
it, in 1867. Fort Augusta, as is
we'll known, occupied the present site
of Sunbury. The whole country here
about, then was savage wilderness,
and the vague ideas entertained of the
land up the North Branch, especially
IN this locality are of peculiar interest.
The first entry bears the date Decem-
Der 8, 1856. Colonel Burd was very
original in his orthography and seldom
spelled the same word twice alike.
He proceeded at once to provision the
fort and 1t is interesting to note the
enormous quantity OF rum that was re-
quired to keep the colonial soldier in
fighting trim.
On December nth, the fort receiv.
ed "2S-horse load of flour, and I3-
horse load of rum" On the 23rd the
arrival of three loads of rum were re.
ported.
The entry of December 18th reads:
1t frlzes prodlgeous hard; the West
Branch is fast and the North Branch
is full of ice and moves slowly. On the
s3rd inst. the snow was over two feet
deep, the entry reading: "Snowed all
last night, compute the snow this
morn'g to be foott a inches deep"
On January 4th "the snow being froze
hard cutt the soldiers ankles prodig-
eously." All of which affords some
idea of the severity of an old fashioned
winter.
On the a7th an order was received
from Captain Jameson placing the
soldiers allowance at pound of -four
and I pound OF meat per day.
Among the quaint entries is one of
February 18th: "This morning John
Appleby, of Capt'n Salter's compa',
died. men employed in making Cof
I'm for ditto"
Entry of Sunday goth reads: "The
fort was so welt we could not have
prayers today" On Sunday Of the
week following it was recorded: "No
prayers on acco't of the severity of the
weather"
The Indians were the ruling factor
about that time, and although they
were not altogether trusted, yet 1t was
policy to treat them we'll and they sell
dom left the fort empty handed. The
tribes in league with the French finally
attacked the fort in great numbers
coming down the North and West
Branches. Col. Burd was apprised of
their advance, however, by friendly
Indians and the fort was prepared for
them. On July 18TH he says: 81 had
all the Indians to dinner with me to-
day, which gave great satisfaction"
One entry reads: "thls morning the
Indians keep houping and following
ON the other side of the river and fire
three guns" Again, "Tnis day two
warrior Indians arrived. | suspect
them to be going to murder the in
habitants / have ordered them to be
watcht and if l find them intent to-
ward the inhabitants will send
party after them to kill them"
On Sunday June I2th the entry
reads. Sent Ogohrodariho up the
! North Branch to Reconoiter with
orders to go to Lapach Peetos town,
about ten miles from hence, where l
suspect the Body of Indians to lay"
'Lapach Peetos town, was evidently
quite near the site occupied by Dan
vile.