History of Washington County, Pennsylvania, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men ... Illustrated

Preface

— —*»>— — An apologetic preface is not intended by what is here written, for it is believed that in this History of Washington County there are perhaps as few errors and imperfections as any reasonable critic ought to expect in so comprehensive a work. Whatever defects may appear (and what work of man is free from defects ?), they are certainly not chargeable to a want of effort and care to avoid them ; and those who have been engaged in the preparation of this work only ask the favor that before it be subjected to unfavorable comment it be carefully examined, not in isolated portions, but in its whole scope and character. Far from being unwilling to submit to honest and intelligent criticism, they will be glad to have any substantial inaccuracies pointed out. By such criticism alone can this work be affected ; captious fault-finding, often arising out of unworthy jealousies, cannot prevail with intelligent men.

But it is rather desired here to make a remark or two as to the history of the book now de livered to those for whom it was written. And in this connection it may be premised that if any one individual, on his own account, could have devoted the necessary time and industry to the preparation of a full and accurate history of the county, covering the ground the writers of this history have endeavored to cover, it is confidently believed that, there being but a local demand for such a work, it would have been vain to hope that it could have been published and sold so as to repay the author for the time, labor, and expenditure involved. To those who wished to see something like an approach to a complete history of Washington County, the proposals of the enterprising publishers to publish the work after a plan and method of their own seemed to offer the only ojiportunity within reach, and hence it was that the writer qf these lines, after the approval of good friends, on whose judgment he could rely, was led to aid the enterprise, not only by a contribution to its pages, but by way of general oversight and direction of the whole.

It was soon found, however, that, beyond the chapters contributed, there was but little need of his assistance, for Major Franklin Ellis, of New York City, the gentleman by whom much the larger part of the work was prepared, brought with him long experience and great skill in historical investigation, an enviable facility of composition, together with laborious industry and carefulness. And he was aided by gentlemen — one of whom, Austin N. Hunger ford, Esq., of Ithaca, N. Y., deserves special mention — who also were possessed of special fitness for the gathering from all sorts of sources of the innumerable and disjointed details which have gone to make up the history of localities ; and, not only that, they have all along received con stant encouragement and valuable suggestions from leading men in the county, too many in number to acknowledge by name here.

It may be unusual, but, as his associates came here as strangers, the writer desires in this place to bear witness to all who may be interested in this

PREFACE.

. 4 V work that in the labor performed by the gentlemen named they have evinced at all times while it progressed the most absolute good faith and painstaking desire for accuracy and completeness. In explanation of the method adopted, more especially in the preparation of the chapters upon the civil and legal history, the writer would state that the idea of presenting original documents, in full or by quotation, as they lay before him, rather than to paraphrase their contents in his own language, was followed from deliberate choice as the best method of presenting local history. Thus the actors speak for themselves, and the reader is not asked to take upon faith the statements of another as to what is really contained in their communications. True, a sentence often might have represented the substantial contents of a letter or paper of some length, but the reader is supposed to desire rather to see and read the letter or paper for himself.

This will, no doubt, be appreciated by the thoughtful. One word as to the matter of the portraits, other illustrations, and biographical sketches not immediately connected with the historical character of the work, a feature, however, with which those engaged as investigators and writers have had nothing whatever to do, as being outside of their employment. This feature sometimes is made the subject of thoughtless criticism. Let it here be said the work is intended, to some extent, to indicate the present development of the county, side by side with the history of its past. For obvious reasons, then, wait for twenty, thirty, forty years of our future to elapse, when the present and its people shall have become more in teresting. Then, it is submitted, this very feature of the work in which there are presented the portraits and biographical sketches of a few of the representative men of each condition of life as well as illustrations of their homes and their surroundings, showing the county of to-day, will of itself have become of very great interest and importance.

Time, indeed, will place this feature of the work in its proper light. This history, thus the work of many hands, is now with the reader, a record of our past for present and future instruction and entertainment. The longer it is possessed perhaps the more it may be prized. Not a page has been stereotyped, and only copies enough have been printed to supply the subscribers and those who labored upon it ; hence it cannot hereafter be found in the market, and year by year it will become a possession more and more valuable to the owner. B. C. Washington, Sept. 20, 1882. CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAOE I. — Washington County in History — Location, Boundaries, and Topography — The' Indian Occupation 13 II. — The French and English Claims to the Trans - Allegheny Region — George Washington's Visit to the French Forts in 1753 21 III. — French Occupation at the Head of the Ohio — Washington's Campaign of 1754 . 34 IV. — Braddock's Expedition in 1755 ... 44 Y.— Incursions and Ravages during the French Occupation — Capture of Fort Du Quesne and Expulsion of the Fresch — Expeditions under Bouquet . 53 VI. — Dunmore's War 64 VII. — The Revolution 74 * VIII.— The Revolution— ( Continued) . . .110 IX. — The Civil and Legal History . . . 138 X. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 148 XI. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 158 XII. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 169 XIII. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 182 XIV. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 196 XV. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) • . . 204 XVI. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 212 XVII. — The Civil and Legal History- — (Continued) 222 XVIII. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 235 XIX. — The Civil and Legal History — (Continued) 249 XX. — The Whiskey Insurrection . . . 262 XXI.— War of 1812-15— Texan and Mexican Wars 306 XXII. — War of the Rebellion . ' . . 310 XXIII. — War of the Rebellion — (Continued) . . 319 XXIV. — War of the Rebellion — ( Continued) . , 322 XXV. — War of the Rebellion — ( Continued) . . 329 XXVI. — War of the Rebellion — (Continued) . . 334 XXVII. — War of the Rebellion — (Continued) . . 342 XXVIII. — War of the Rebellion — (Continued) . . 346 XXIX. — War of the Rebellion, — ( Continued) . . 349 chapter page XXX. — War of the Rebellion — (Continued) . . 353 XXXI. — War of the Rebellion — (Continued) . . 362 XXXII.— Geology— Mining 365 XXXIII. — Internal Improvements .... 370 XXXIV.— Religious History 398 XXXV. — Religious History — (Continued) . . . 425 XXXVI.— Educational History . . . .438 XXXVII. — County Buildings — Civil List — County Agricultural Societies — Population . 463 BOROUGHS AND TOWNSHIPS.

Washington Borough ....... 476 MONONGAHELA ClTY 565 Canonsburg Borough 601 California Borough 628 West Brownsville Borough 635 Allen • . . . . . . 643 Amwell Township 652 Buffalo Township 673 Canton Township ........ 686 Carroll Township 691 Cecil Township ......... 698 Chartiers Township 707 Cross Creek Township 721 Donegal Township 742 East Bethlehem Township 764 East Finley Township 774 East Pike Run Township 782 Fallowfield Township 789 Franklin Township 796 Hanover Township ........ 802 Hopewell Township 811 Independence Township. *...... 824 Jefferson Township ....... 836 Morris Township 842 Mount Pleasant Township 850 NoRTn Strabane Township . * 866 Nottingham Township 882 Peters Township ........ 887 Robinson Township 900 Smith Township . . . . . . ■ .910 Somerset Township ....... 031 South Strabane Township 952 Union Township 960 West Bethlehem Township 969 West Finley Township 979 West Pike Run Township 980 ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE Alexander, J. W. . . , . . . facing 627 Alexander, William J " 578 Allison, John 720 Autographs of Justices of Old Virginia Courts, facing 204 Baker, Enoch « 671 Barnard, Samuel " 978 Barr, John S " 944 Bentley, George " 968 Blachly, S. L "848 Caldwell, A. B., Residence of ... . " 504 Court-House, Sheriff's Residence, ijnd Jail . " 467 Craig, Walker « 724 Craighead, James " 706 Crumrine, George ...... " 976 Davis, William " 957 Denniston, Samuel " 964 Dickson, James G " 614 Ducking-Stool 206 Ewing, John H facing 556 9 Farrar, John ....... " 929 Frazier, Thomas >' 760 Hall, John, Stock-Farm of ... . " 688 Hanna, Mrs. S. R. '. " 558 Hawkins, S. R. " 948 Hazlett's Bank " 528 Hazzard, T. R " 598 Henderson, Joseph 563 Hopkins, James H facing 562 Hopkins, William " 560 Howe, S. B << 635 Jefferson College at Canonsburg in 1842 .... 445 Lawrence, G. V facing 574 Lee, William .......

" 732 Little, James D., Residence of . ... " 712 Map, Draft of Surveys Virginia Settlement, between 192, 193 Map, Outline, Illustrating the Boundary Controversy between Pennsylvania anc^ Virginia . . facing 191 Map showing District of West Augusta and Counties of Ohio between 182, 183 M-ap showing French Occupation of the Ohio Valley, facing 138 Map of Washington County from 1781 to 1788 " 222 Map, Outline, of Washington County . . between 12, 13 Maxwell, George C, Residence of . . . facing 646 Maxwell, John ....... " 820 McConnell, Alexander, Jr. between 718, 719 McConnell, Alexander, Sr. " 718 719 McFarland, Samuel facing 564 6 PAGE McKennan, W. facing 249 McLain, William "762 McMillan's Log Cabin Academy ..... 440 McNary, James S between 714, 715 McNary, William II " 714, 715 Murray's Block, West Alexander . . . . . 752 Noble, T. C facing ' 758 Part of Washington in 1842 ....

"496 Patterson, James "727 Paul, Huston "954 Paxton, John G., Residence of ... . " 708 Plan of the town of Washington . . between 476, 477 Pees, Zachariah ...... facing 880 Perrine, David "840 Prehistoric Pipe ........ 956 Presbyterian Church, West Alexander . . facing 749 Pringle, J. S "642 Proudflt, J. L " 930 Public School, Monongahela City ... " 595 Ramsey, George ...... " 959 Reed, Parker 822 Richard Yates' Survey . . . . . . .193 Ritchie's Block . . . . . facing 623 Ritchie, W. H. S. ..... " 624 Shirls, Harry, Residence of between 542, 543 Sloan, Rev. James ...... facing 585 Smith, William "940 Soldiers' Monument ........ 552 Southwestern State Normal School . . . facing 462 Speers, S. C "649 Sphar, Henry " 651 Stephens, J. W " 936 Stewart, Robert "838 Stocks and Pillory 222 Swagler, Jacob facing 950 Swart, Andrew J. ....... 672 Townsend, Elijah facing 899 Trinity Hall, from Playground. ...

" 459 Trinity Hall Boarding-SchooI .... "458 Trinity Hall, east view ..... " 459 Vance, Samuel " 952 Warne, James " 600 Walker, D. S facing 740 Walker, John N "736 Washington College in 1S42 446 Wasson, L. J facing 886 Work, George T "816 OUTLINE MAP OF mSBIMCIQN CO. PENKA HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANfA And while the smoke of battle still enveloped the steep sides of Bunker Hill, armed men from the valley of the Monongahela were already on their way across the mountains to join the provincial forces encircling Boston. Later in the struggle, when Brit ain had secured the alliance of the Indian tribes of the Northwest, and incited them to frequent and bloody incursions into the settlements along the Ohio border, the brave frontiersmen of this region were mustered in arms again and again to repel invasion and to march against the savages in the wilderness, as a means of protection to their own families and homes.

And through all the years of the great struggle, devout ministers of the gospel in Washing ton County, some of them as eminent in their calling as any in the land, prayed for the success of the pa triot cause ; and when the fighting men went forth, exhorted them to take as much care to fear and serve God, as to pick their flints and keep their powder dry.

Chapter I. Washington County In

HISTORY— LOCATION, BOUNDARIES, AND TOPOGRAPHY— THE INDIAN OCCUPATION. Washington County embraces in its annals much that is of great historic interest, and in this respect it is surpassed by but few counties in Pennsylvania, though no great national events have ever occurred within its boundaries, and it contains no spot of world-wide fame like Valley Forge, Wyoming, or Gettysburg. In the fierce conflict waged a century and a quarter ago by the two great European rivals, England and France, for dominion over the vast region watered by the head-streams of the Ohio, the contending armies never fought or marched within the present limits of this county, but the routes and the battle-grounds of Washington and Braddock were so near these borders that the crunch and rumble of their artillery-wheels among the crags of the Laurel Hill and the rattle of the fusilades at Fort Necessity and on the storied field of the Monongahela might almost have been heard from the valleys and hills that are now whitened and dotted by the harvests and herds of Washington County farmers.

Twenty years afterwards, when a controversy scarcely less fierce sprang up between the States of Pennsylvania and Virginia, in which the Old Dominion insisted on ex tending her limits eastward to the mountains, while Pennsylvania peremptorily refused to yield to the claim, and demanded the boundaries granted to Penn by'the royal charter, the country west of the Monon gahela, that was soon after embraced in the county of Washington, became the principal arena of a conflict of jurisdiction that almost reached the extremity of The border hostilities, the Revolution, and the later wars in which the people of Washington County took prominent part will be mentioned in detail in suc ceeding pages, with accounts of the boundary con troversy, the Whiskey Insurrection, internal im provements, including the construction of the old National road, the railroads, the navigation of the Monongahela River, and numberless other historical matters relating to this county, among which none are of greater interest than those pertaining to that religious and educational development and progress which has placed Washington among the very fore most of the counties of Pennsylvania.

Location, Boundaries, and Topography.— With regard to its location and boundaries, Washington may properly be described as one of the western most range of counties of Pennsylvania, and the second one, reckoning northward, from the south west corner of the State. It is joined on the north by Beaver County ; on the northeast by Allegheny County ; on the east by Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Fayette ; on the south by Greene County, and on the west by the State of West Virginia. open war. In the Revolutionary struggle this region saw nothing of the movements of the Continental and royal armies • but when the news of actual hostilities flew south and west from Lexington Common, kindling in all the colonies the flame of patriotism, it blazed forth as promptly and burned as brightly on these highlands and along these streams as it did on the plain of Bennington or the banks of the Brandywine.

The principal stream of the county is the Monon gahela River, which takes its rise in West Virginia, L3 crosses the State line into Pennsylvania at the ex treme southeast corner of Greene County, and flow ing thence in a meandering but generally northward course, marks the entire eastern boundary of Greene and Washington Counties against the counties of Fay ette, Westmoreland, and Allegheny. From the north eastern limit of Washington County the river flows first in a northeasterly, and afterwards in a north westerly course through Allegheny County to its confluence with the Allegheny River at Pittsburgh. rolling uplands or hills. In the southwest part of the county there is very little bottom land along the creeks ; the hills rise more abruptly, and the high lands are much more steep and rugged than elsewhere.

In general through the county the hills are tillable to their tops. On them, as in the valleys, and river and creek bottoms, the soil is excellent for the pro duction of grain and fruits. The county in general is excellent for grazing, and well adapted for all the requirements of agriculture. Besides the Monongahela, Washington County has a great number of smaller streams, but among these there are few that are of sufficient size and importance to de serve special mention. The North Fork of Ten-Mile Creek takes its rise in the southern part of this county, and flows in a general course a little south of east to its junction with the South Fork, which rises in Greene County. The North Fork marks the boundary line between Washington and Greene for a short distance above the confluence; and the main stream of Ten- Mile also marks the line between the two counties from the confluence to its mouth, where its waters join those of the Monongahela.

North of Ten-Mile Creek, Pike Run, Pigeon Creek, Mingo Creek, and Peters Creek flow into the Monongahela from the eastern part of the county. A fine description of the natural features of Wash ington County is given below, being quoted from the " Memoirs of Alexander Campbell," by Robert Rich ardson. His observations commence at the county seat, the site of which he describes as " near the sources of several streams, which run in different di rections, as the Chartiers Creek, which flows towards the north ; Ten-Mile Creek, which pursues an east ward course and falls into the Monongahela ten miles above Brownsville, whence its name ; Buffalo, which directs a swift and clear current to the west-northwest and empties into the Ohio at Wellsburg, about twenty eight miles distant. The town being thus near the summit-level of the streams, the hills around it are comparatively low, and the country gently undulat ing.

As we follow the descending waters the hills and upland region, which in reality preserve pretty much the same level, seem gradually to become higher, so that by the time we approach the Ohio and Monon gahela Rivers their sides, growing more and more precipitous, rise to a height of four or five hundred feet. These steep declivities inclose the fertile val leys, through which the larger streams wind in grace ful curves. Into these wide valleys small rivulets pour their limpid waters, issuing at short intervals upon each side from deep ravines formed by steep hill sides, which closely approach each other, and down which the waters of the springs, with which the up land is abundantly supplied, fall from rock to rock in miniature cascades. Upon the upland not immedi ately bordering upon the streams, the country is rolling, having the same general elevation, above which, however, the summit of a hill occasionally lifts itself, as though to afford to lovers of beautiful landscapes most delightful views of a country covered for many miles with rich pasturages, with grazing herds or flocks, fruitful grain-fields or orchards, gar dens, and farm-houses, while upon the steeper sides of the valleys still remain some of the ancient forest growths of oak and ash, walnut, hickory, and maple.

Frequently as the traveler passes along the roads upon the upland he sees suddenly from some divid ing ridge charming valleys stretching away for miles with their green meadows, rich fields of corn, and sparkling streamlets. At other times, as he advances, he admires with delight in the distance the ever varying line of the horizon, which on all sides is formed by the summits of remote ridges and eleva tions, sometimes conical in form, but mostly defined The head-streams or forks of Chartiers Creek take their rise in the central and southern parts of the county, and joining their waters form the main stream, which flows in a northeasterly course through the north part of Washington into and through Allegheny County to its junction with the Ohio a short distance below Pittsburgh. Raccoon Creek, King's Creek, and Harmon's Creek rise in the northwest part of the county and flow into the Ohio, the first named in a northerly, and the others in a general westerly course.

Several forks of Wheeling Creek (which flows into the Ohio) rise in the southwest corner of Washington County, Hunter's Fork (of Wheeling) marking the boundary for several miles between Washington and Greene. Buffalo Creek and Cross Creek, which have their sources in the western part of Washington County, flow westward across the State line into West Virginia, and through the " Pan Handle" of that State into the Ohio River. Bordering the Monongahela River are narrow bottom lands, seldom, if ever, over one-fourth of a mile in width, and generally much less, through this county. From these bottoms the "river hills" rise abruptly to a height of from two hundred to three hundred feet, and from their summits the country stretches away westward in fine rolling uplands, \vliic_ h in many parts may be called a succession of hills.

The creeks — Chartiers, Ten-Mile, Pike, Pigeon, Mingo, Peters, Raccoon, King's. Harmon's, Cross, and Buffalo — all have nearly the same kind of country bordering their margins, viz., bottom lands (generally very narrow, those of Chartiers' being wider than any other), from which the country rises to the THE INDIAN OCCUPATION. 15 by various arcs of circles, as regularly drawn as if a pair of compasses had traced the lines upon the sky. Everywhere around him he sees lands abounding in limestone and all the necessary elements of fertility, and producing upon even the highest summits abund ant crops of all the cereal grains. To enhance the natural resources of this picturesque country its hills conceal immense deposits of bituminous coal, which the descending streams here and there expose, and which, along the sides of the valleys within five miles of Washington and thence to the Ohio River, are conveniently reached by level adits.

Such, for nearly two hundred miles west of the Alleghenies, is the general character of this region, especially of that portion of it lying along the Monongahela and Ohio, a region whose healthfulness is not surpassed by that of any country in the world." their old homes in the land of the setting sun. At the present day there are enthusiastic searchers through the realms of aboriginal lore who, accepting the vague narrative as authentic, imagine that the red man came from Asia across the Behring Strait, through which they saw the tide constantly ebb and flow as'mentioned in the tradition. Certain it is that at the coming of the first Europeans to America, the Indians of the Lenni Lenape were found living in Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in the country drained by the river which the white men called Delaware, a name which they also gave to the nation of red men who inhabited its valley.

Many years before that time the Dela wares had been powerful and the terror of other In dian tribes, but they were afterwards subdued and humbled by the all-conquering Iroquois or Five Nations,' who reduced them to a state of semi-vas salage, and compelled them to acknowledge them selves women and not warriors. The Delawares, while not daring to deny this fact, endeavored to re lieve themselves of the disgrace in the eyes of white men by an ingenious yet flimsy account to the effect that as the Indian nations were almost continually at war with each other it had become necessary to have some one of the tribes stand constantly in the attitude of peace-makers between them ; that as it was proper that the bravest and most powerful nation should perform this office, it naturally fell to the Delawares, who were exceedingly unwilling to take it, but finally consented to do so for the general good.

It was disgraceful for warriors to ask for peace; this had always been done by the women of the tribes, hence peace-makers were women, and the Delawares in accepting the position as such became, metaphori cally, women and wearers of the petticoat.2 The Delawares said that the Iroquois brought about this result by cunning speeches and artifice, because they dreaded their power and were anxious to render them powerless for harm, the Delawares only discover ing the trick when it was too late for them to recede. Heckewelder and other Moravian writers gravely re peated this silly story for truth ; but it is unquestion able that the Iroquois treated the Delawares with great contempt, as a subjugated people and vassals. At a treaty council held in Philadelphia3 in July, 1742, a Six Nation chief named Cannassatego gave a The Indian Occupation. — When the wilderness region west of the Alleghenies in Pennsylvania was first penetrated by English-speaking white men, they found it partially occupied by roving bands of In dians, whose principal permanent settlements were in the vicinity of the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, and above and below that point on the latter stream and the Ohio, but who bad, besides these, a few transient villages, or more properly camps, located at different points in the in terior of the great hunting-ground.

These Indian occupants were principally of the Delaware and Shawanese tribes or nations, but there were among them several colonized bands of Iroquois, or " Min goes," as they were called. These represented the powerful Six Nations of New York, who were the de facto owners of this trans- Allegheny country, and who sent these bands with their chiefs to live among their vassals, the Delawares, in the same manner and for the same reason that the Romans of old planted colonies and posts at remote points in their tributary provinces. The Delawares claimed that theirs was the most ancient of all the aboriginal nations, the "Lenni Lenape," or Original People.

One of their traditions ran, that, ages before, their ancestors had lived in a far-off country to the west, beyond the mighty rivers and mountains, at a place where the salt waters con stantly moved to and fro, and that in the belief that there existed away towards the rising sun a red man's paradise — a land of deer and salmon and beaver — they had left their far-away home and trav eled on towards the east and south to find it, but that on their way they were harassed and attacked by enemies and scourged and divided by famine, so that it was not until after long and weary journeyings during hundreds of moons that they came at length to a broad and beautiful river (the Delaware), which forever ebbed and flowed, like the waters from whose shores they had come; and there, amidst a profusion of game and fish, they rested, and found that Indian elysium of which they had dreamed before they left 1 The Iroquois confederation, at first embracing the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, was then called the Five Nations, but aftorwards became the Six Nations by the addition of the Tuscaroras, who emigrated to the North upon being expelled from their earlier hunting-grounds in the Carolinas. 2 At a time when a strong French force was reported to be on the upper Allegheny ou its way to the Ohio, the Delawares living at tho head of the latter river sent runners to the Six Nation council at Onondaga, with belts aud a message, in which they said, "Uncles, the United Na tions, — We expect tcj be killed by the French your father, We desire therefore that you will take off our Petticoat that we may fight for our selves, our wives and children.

In the condition we are iu, you know we can do nothing." — Colonial Records, vi. 37. 3 Col. Rec., iv. 580. most withering reproof to some Delawares who were present, in reference to the conduct of their nation in some of their transactions with the whites. He told them they were not warriors but women, and that they deserved to have their ears cut off for their behavior, and after a long and extremely abusive and contemptuous speech to them in the same strain, in which he told them their people must remove forthwith from the Delaware, that they could have no' time to consider about it, but must go at once to the Susquehanna, but that considering their behavior he doubted whether they would be allowed to remain there, he handed them a string of wampum and con tinued, "You are to preserve this string in memory of what your uncles have this day given you in charge.