The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-04-09
THE BLOCK HOUSE.
Written for the Ladies Literary Club by
Mrs S. A. COOPER.

the English Governor Dnwiddie of the Dominion" or
Virginia asking the French to withdraw from terri
tory that belonged to the English Sovereign, he surely
did not realize his undertaking, but spirit so coura-
geous as his afterward proved to be would dare TO do
any task required Of him.
He set out from Williamsburg, then the capital of
Virginia Oct 81 1853 to traverse more than ivehun-
dred miles, much of the way. painless as well as
wintry desert. His route lay through tredrlcksburg
Alexandria and Winchester, to Wits Creek or Fort
Cumberland near the boundary OF Maryland and Penn
syvania.
Here taking leave of every vestge of civilization
and having procured the services of Mr. Gst agent OF
the Ohio Company Interpreter and guide, his party
of eight plunged into the wilderness. They passed
through and storm, over mountains and down
through thckets into flooded valleys. Coming upon
the YOughiogeny River, which IS still called by It's IND
ian name they followed it to the MOnongahela and
that to It's junction with the Allegheny The Fork as
the site of Pttsburg called, was then desert but
Washington aferward reported 1t ds suitable place
for 4 fort. ,
From the Fork he went down the river twenty miles
to Logtown to deliver friendly message of greeting
from Gov Dnwiddie to the great chief, Half King OF
the Southern Hurons whose friendship was courted py
both French and English The chief said the land IN
question did not belong to either the French or English
but chat the Great Spirit had given 1t to the Indians
and allowed them to make 1t their home and hunting
After friendly council Half King and three of his
principal men accompanied Washington one hundred
miles north to Fort LeBouef on French Creek:
Here ST. Pierre, who had been IN command OF the
Post but few days. received him with the courtesy
and hospital attentions of the French gentleman.
But to Dinwiddes request that the French would
leave the territory which belonged to the English, ne
replied that it did not become him to discuss treaties
but referred him to the Governor General of Canada
the Marquis Duquesne, as he acted under his orders
and ne should be careful to obey.
The return of Washington in the dead of winter,
Jan. 10. 1854 to Williamsburg after an absence Of
eleven weeks was fraught with many dangers
treacherous guide aimed his musket at him but it
missed fire and in crossing the Allegheny River which
~ thntv lytono ol-oI
their rude raft into the water but saved themselves by
swimming to an island where they remained all night
and managed to dry their clothes.
On his return, his reports were published with ap-
pause not only throughout the colonies but in England.
Troops were raised in Virginia, and Washington was
made Lieutenant Colonel and ntrusted with the COM
mand
French and Indians, his surrender at Fort Necessity
and receiving for his garrison the honors of war.
Washing on afterward accompanied Gen. Braddock
on his expedition against the frencn VINO nad oy ths
time built Fort at the junction of the Monongahela
and Aeghany but were ambuShed at Braddock
Fields on the MonOngahela.
At this place now is good sized city where the Ed
oar Thompson Steel Works are situated one OF the
! largest manufacturing plants in the u 5.
/ After the treaty of peace with the French which
was concluded at Paris in 1863 Fort DuQuesne was
called Fort Pitt and later Pittsburg.
There were troops kept at this very important point
and in spite of the depredaonS and atrocities OF the
Indian settlers came into the valley,
Pontiac. an Indian chief whose father an Otta-
wa and his mother a Chippewa woman, was very Bit
for AGAINST the English and continued to stir up the
Indians against the whites. He supposed to have
led the Ottawa and Chippewa warriors at Braddocks
defeat Pontiac if not fully equal to Tecumseh, stands
closely second to him in strength OF mind and breadth
- comnrehension He attended a drinking carousal
st Cah6kia. Illinois 1869 and was murdered by Kas-
kaskian Indian
Among the early settlers to come into the valley
about 1880 was Hugh Miller Scotchman, and wife
and three children boy of five years, girl of three
and an infant few months old.
Beautiful farms along the river could be secured al,
most for the making or clearing and the ver afforded
q CHEAP means of transportation
a RIockhouse had been erected for refuge near the
battle-ground of Braddock.
These blockhouses were built upon an elevated place