Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-20
INDIANS OF DAUPHIN AND
LANCASTER FOUGHT FOR LAND
BY A. L. CAMPBELL, Columbia, Pa.

TINE section of Lancaster county
lying between the Big and Little
Chickies creeks, in Rapho town
ship, and the adjoining lands in Mount
JOY township, Lancaster township, ly-
ing contiguous to the creek and
Indians as the "Stone Wigwam" was
the scene in the early history of the
contingent of bloody battle between
two Indian tribes. This was many
years before the settlement of Pennsyl-
vania, and followed fierce contention
and predatory warfare for possession
of that portion of ground According
to the tradition among the Indians,
these startling scenes were enacted
many years before any white settlers
had penetrated that region. When, in
later years, the paleface made his ap-
pearance there few Indians remained.
Tradition, as IL came down from
the Indians of that period, has it that
the section of country from the
Swatara to the Conestoga creek, was
inhabited by two tribes, one on the
Swatara known as the Arroquas and
the tribe below on the Conestoga, as
the Canadagas. The dividing line of
this section was at the Big Rock,
known as Chickies Rock, near which
the Chickies creek empties into the
Susquehanna river.
More than half a century ago, a
resident of Mount JOY having gone to
the west, discovered on the head
waters of the Rock river, in Wis
consin, a village, the inhabitants of
which were composed of French and
Indians, the latter being remnants of
six or seven tribes, who spoke differ
ent dialects. Among the number was
an old prophet who could speak Eng
lish. Learning of the presence of d
white man in the village who had
come from the land of Penn, the
prophet sent for him and requested
an interview in his wigwam. The
white man accepted the invitation and
paid visit to the old prophet who
| told him that his ancestors were from
the land of Penn and, consulting an
| old parchment, he traced every
| stream and brook along the course
of the Susquehanna river which are
now in Dauphin and Lancaster coun.
ties. He also informed the visitor
that up the creek, where it divides intt
two branches, meaning the Big and
| Little Chickies creeks, was the forl
of land which in an early period, wa:
| the cause of the war between the
tribes, who disputed on account of the
| boundaries, and much bloodshed re
suited in the fierce and sanguinarI
combat that took place to determine
| which tribe should have control.
Land Cause of Bitter Strife
The Arroquas claimed the land q.
| far east as the Big Chickies, while the
Canadagas claimed possession as fal
west as the Little Chickies. This con-
tention was the cause of bitter strife
between the two tribes, and, as each
| contended for possession, 1t was
| finally decided to settle the dispute by
battle, which took place on that
spot.
Bloody Two-Day Battle
The story says that each chief fur
nished as many warriors as there were
days in twelve months, these armies
numbering about seven hundred men.
These met near the river on clear
day in the Fall of the year, the con-
ditions being that the battle was to
begin at sunrise and continue until
sunset. The tribe that remained mas
ter of the field, after the battle, was
to hold the disputed territory. The
contest was a bloody one and ceased
at sunset without a decided victory
for either side. It was resumed the
next morning and at the end of the
day only seven Arroquas and five
Canadagas survived, the rest of both
tribes having been killed. The seven
Arroquas then drove the five Can
adagas from the field and claimed
possession.
This battle was fought about one
hundred years before the time of Will
liam PENIS treaty with the Indians at
Philadelphia. But the question of
supremacy was not yet settled, for
about a year after the battle. the
prophet of the Arroquas had a vision
that the departed spirits of the braves
slain in the battle could not be recon-
ciled and would not be admitted by
the Great Spirit to the Happy Hunting