Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-11-12
Colonel Armstrong; Forces
Gains Decisive Victory Over
Delaware Tribe.
TORCH APPLIED To THE VILLAGE
Powder Explosion scatters Fragments
of Indians to the Four Winds
Many Prisoners Released.
ARMSTRONG INJURED IN ATTACK

from the junction or that stream with
the Ohio good-sized town called Kit
tanning. 1t is a prosperous county
seat community, being the capital Of
Armstrong county. This county Is
most appropriately named, as will be
seen from the following brief nara
tion Of one of the most importan.
events in the early history of this re-
gion:
In the old colonial days there was
located on or close by the site of the
present town of Kittanning a big Del
aware Indian town which bore the
same name. 1t was the home of one
OF the most vicious of all the hostile
Delaware chiefs, Captain Jacobs, and
was at times the residence of thai
other redskin sinner, King Shingiss
Kittanning was the home also of
large body of warriors. Being situat-
ed as it was it afforded a splendid cen.
ter from which to send out war par
ties to vex the frontier settlers. The
river hard by gave an easy route north
and south, while eastward stretched
the great Kittanning trail over the AL
leghenies to the populous valleys Of
Central Pennsylvania.
Along these ready highways passed
and repassed innumerable parties OF
warriors bearing scalps and driving
prisoners. The defeat of Braddock in
1855 seemed to rouse all the devilish.
ness which was in these fierce tribes
men and terrible onslaught was
hxy
frontier. A large number Of these at
tacks were made from Kittanning.
On Aug. %, 1856, an urgent petition
was sent by the inhabitants of York
county to the public authorities, say
ing that Franklin and York counties
were well night depopulated and that
the savage whirlwind had reached to
within few miles of Harris ferry, the
site of Harrisburg. Special attention
was drawn to Kittanning as the cen.
ter from which went out so many war
parties and where were confined a
great number of English prisoners.
To destroy this town and set free
these captives Colonel John Armstrong
set out Immediately on his brave and
successful enterprise against the place.
The story of the campaign, briefly
told, is this:
On Aug. 30, 1856, Colonel Armstrong
marched from Fort Shirley, now Shir-
leysburg, in Huntingdon county, AMI
joined a small advance force a few
miles from Frankstown, at what were
known as the Beaver Dams Indians
were found in the vicinity, but they
were on ahead, and so carefully did
the army advance that no discovery of
its coming was made. When about SO
miles from Kittanning a halt was or
dered and four men we're sent out to
scout towards the enemy's position.
They reported the way clear for safe
and unheralded advance, but did not
reconnoiter the town itself AS the
troops advanced they experienced
some trouble in getting past party
Of Indians who were some distance
out from the town, but this was sue
cessfully accomplished, and Armstrong
and his men had the satisfaction of ar
irving unseen before the town.
During the early hours of the night
they lay hidden. Indians were NOV
ing about nearby them in all direc-
tions, but were in complete ignorance
OF the presence of an enemy. They
were so close that the English heard
an Indian give a peculiar whistle.
This at first they thought to be sig
nal of discovery, but it was recognized
by some scout as lovers call to his
sweetheart. Late in the night the
moon set, and as dawn approached
Armstrong disposed his companies for
the attack. This was begun by an on
slaught on the numerous Indians who
were sleeping in the great corRfelds
at the edge of the town. Immediately
another force moved to attack the
houses
Captain Jacobs at once took COM
mand of the defense, giving a loud
warwhoop, and exclaiming, as some OF
the released prisoners afterwards
told
"The white men are come at last,
and we shall have scalps enough"
The enemy in the fields was soon
routed with much loss by the brisk
attacks, but Jacobs and his band Sc
creted themselves in the houses of the
town and gave a hot return to the fire
Of the whites. Armstrong soon con-
cluded that the best plan would be to
set fire to the houses. Gradually this
was accomplished, and the refugees of
the savages became their funeral piles
in many cases.
There was large quantity of pow.
der stored in the town The Indians
had often boasted that they had
enough to enable them to keep up a
war against the English for over two
years. AS the flames reached these
powder stores the explosions were
many and loud. Armstrong says:
with the roof of Captain Jacobs
house, when the powder blew up, was