The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-06-30
INDIAN FORTS AND TOWN
IN CECIL
Excerpts from Wilderness Trail"
written by Hanna, Published by
O. p Putnam e, Sons 1901

written by Hanna, Published by
G. p. Putnam & Sons 1901.
another fort of the Suequehan-
nocks Indians) stood at the mouth
of the Octoraro Creek, ON the north
side of that stream in what is known
now as West Nottingham Township,
Cecil County, Maryland (On John
Smiths map of Virginia, of 1912, he
locates the Susquehannoughs Town
about twenty-five miles above the
mouth of the River, which would
place it some distance above the Oc-
torara.) These Forts are referred to
in the Maryland Records as early as
1914. In Augustine Herrman's map of
Virginia and Maryland (1670) he To-
Gates 1.-The present Fort of the Sus-
quehanna" on the west side of the
River, below the Falls"
John Hans Steelman, or Stillman,
the old Indian Trader of Cecil County,
Maryland, made a statement sin the
year 1740 to the effect that he was an
Indian Trader, then aged 85 years !;
that he was acquainted with the Bay
of Chesapeake and the Susquehanna
River" He has frequently seen both
Indian Towns and Indian Forts, and
the difference between an Indian Fort
and an Indian Town is that an Indian
Town is number of houses or cabins
built or set near together; and an In
dian Fort is such a Town fortified or
surrounded with breast work of
poles or stakes of wood set up, and a
bank of earth thrown up about them.
About forty or fifty years ago G7O0
or 1890 he saw an Indian Town,
wherein were Indians then residing,
at a point of land at the upper side of
and about half a mile from the
mouth of the Octorara Creek, which
runs into the Susquehanna River
aforesaid. And at the side or near
the said Town, this deponent then also
saw an Indian Fort, consisting of a
great number of poles or stakes of
| wood set up, and a bank of earth
thrown up about the same, as herein
before described which the said In
dams then told this deponent, had
been an Indian Fort. Says he also
remembers one Jacob Young (another
early Indian Trader of Cecil county,
whose name disappears from the rec
ord before 1900 did before or about
the same time, show this deponent the
ruins of another Indian Fort which
stood at about three-quarters Of a
mile from the said first mentioned
Fort, and where the said Jacob Young
then showed this deponent several
dead mems bones, and told him that a
great battle had been fought there by
the Indians"
Jacob Young, before 1887, lived at
the head of Mill Creek, short dis
lance east of the present village of
Port Deposit, Maryland. In 1895 he
was Tavern Keeper at the mouth of
the Susquehanna River opposite (east
of Palmer's Island, and operated a
ferry across the River at that point.
In 1740 James Hendricks, then sew
enty-three years of age, stated:
near fifty years ago he saw about
forty Indian Cabins or houses upon
the upper point of land which forms
the mouth of the Octorara Creek
which town had stakes of wood and a
bank of earth cast around it. That
the affirmant was then told by some
of the Indians there residing, that
they called the same place Meanock
(This was name given by the Del
awares, from Lenape; Menack, fence
or fort,) which they said, in English,
signified a fertilization or fortified
town. He has also seen the ruins of
another such fortified town, on the
east side of the Susquehanna River
aforesaid, opposite to a place where
one Thomas Cresap lately dwelt.
That the land there on both sides of
the said River was formerly (called)
Conajocula.
Elizabeth Murphy and Margaret AL
len, two daughters of Jonas Erskine,
also stated that thirty years before
| Q710) they lived with their Father
near the mouth of the Octorara Creek,
where the remains of an ancient In
dian Fort, a bank, and some part of
the logs with which it had been sur
rounded, appeared, between the mouth
of the Creek and the River" The
former stated that when she saw the
same, there appeared a large bank
cast up round it, and the top of the
palisades that had been there APP
peared to be rotted off, and the stumps
of them remained in the ground, and
says, that her Father, who lived at
the same place many years, by the Ii
cense of the Indians informed her
there had been great battle fought
there, and showed her the bones of the
Indians slain in BATTLE" Margaret AL
len said that she often heard her
Father and several Indians, who re-
| sided very near the same place, say
that, at the same place there had
formerly been an Indian Fort; and
says that she saw there great numbers
of human bones which her Father in
formed her, had been (of their) slain
in many battles fought there; and that
she often picked up a great number
of stone arrow points and stone
hatchets there"
MAURICE O. WOODROW.