Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/43

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

tiement. A $ soon as the Connecticut auUiorities heard of the Hcnn purchase they sent a sn u ll parly o f settlers to rcoccupy the lands abandoned in 1763. T his brought on a bitter controversy between the two parlies who claimed the land. F o rts and blockhouses were erected by both sides, and some blood w as shed. T he dispute was taken to the London Coun­ cil, which decided against the Penns. In 1775 the matter was brought before the Continental CongrcNS. who also decided in favor o f Con­ necticut. Tliis decision was rejected by the Pennsylvania Assembly, and it w as not till iS c a that Congress finally gave the titles to the Penns. .Settlers from Connecticut had come to what is now the eastern part o f Columbia county and entered upon the land under the Connecticut claim, and the grantees from the Penns came to the same region and made claim to the lands under surveys made in 1769 and 1772. T his led to much friction between the settlers and it was finally settled by the Decree o f Trenton, w hkh awarded all the lands in the "Seventeen townships o f Luzerne counpr” to the Connecticut claimants and all outside o f Luzerne county to the Penns, with a pro­ viso that any lands in the seventeen townships which had been sold by the Penns to settlers should be ceded to the State and the purchase money refunded. From that lime on the rival claimants lived in peace with their neighbors. T lie Penn treaty made with the savages in 1768, at Fort Stanw ix, w as the primal incen­ tive to the settlement of the land o f w hkh this history is written. The whites, secure in a clear title to the country, took peaceable pos­ session of their purchases and the Indians re­ treated to the fastnesses of the hills, but few remaining in their old villages o f Ncscopeck, Catawissa, and the one on the Mahoning creek, the site o f Danville. 'Phc Revolutionary w ar brought with it a renewed fear of the savages, and after many forays and minor attacks the terrible nussacrc o f W voming occurred, Ju ly 3. 1778. This causc<i a general flight o f all the settlers in this section, most of them taking refuge at Sunbury and Northumberland. T he authorities took prompt measures to pro­ tect the settlers. Colonel Hartley and a regi­ ment of the line were .it once sent lo the scene, built a fort at the home o f a settler named Je n ­ kins. six miles below Ncscopeck falls, pursued the Indians and drove them from that tion. That winter the savages were not active, owing to the extreme cold. T he following A pril they attacked the fort, hut were repulsed.

tlie whites losing three and having four wounded. A gain in M ay the Indians attacked a party o f settlers at Miffiinvine, killing and scalpit^ four o f a family. These ravages con­ tinued through (lie entire year, the troops being too few to make adequate return. In 1779 the campaign of the whites w as begun in earnest, and by the end of the year the country was in a more tramiuil state. T his resulted in the withdrawal ot some o f (he soldiers, and in 1780 most o f (he defense of the frontiers devolved on the poorly equipped and hard-worked militia. In that year the savages made a con­ certed attack on Fort Jenkins and destroyed it, carr^'ing off the stock and burning the stores o f gram . T he garrison had got wind of the attack and retreated. T he following Ju n e a company o f rangers was organized, with Thomas Robinson as cap­ tain and Moses V an Campcn as ensign. Later V an Campen w as made lieutenant, the com­ mand devolving on him. as Robinson w*as not experienced in scouting. In the spring o f 178 1 this company built a fort on the plantation of the W idow M cG u re, the farm now included in the limits o f Bloomsburg, and there stored their supplies. T he d o se of the Revolution brought about a cessation o f hostilities, and the treaty of 1784 removed the last barrier to settlement. NATIONALITY OP TH E IM M IGRANTS

The first settlement in Columbia count}' w as made by an Irish Quaker. N ext came the Dutch, from the M inisinks; the Welsh, from U w chland; the Germans, from Berks county: and (he Scotch-Irish, from New Jersey. The available lines o f travel had much to do in determining the location of the pioneers, who followed the line of the Sust|ucnanna and its tributaries. The Quakers settled at Catawissa and Green­ wood. but (he poor character of the soil at the form er place caused these thrifty fanners to pass on to Ohio and Canada. Those at Green­ wood. finding the soil satisfactor)', remained, and their descendants arc scattered through­ out (he county. The German immigration set in about 1788. these people coming mostly from Berks county, although many were from the Fatherland. T liey were more persistent and plodding than the Q iu kcrs, and most of them remained in their adopted homes. T his nation.i1ity forms the greater part of the present population. T he New Je rse y immigrants were mostly English dissenters. T hey occupied the coun­