Forefather

I had not thought about my petition to King George 111 for a deed of land and it had been many years since I had sent my petition. I felt that it was a childhood dream that would never become real.  My surprise and astonishment was unbounded when the King’s representative in Ft. Frederick sent word to me, inviting me to visit him.  I, of course, immediately went, donning my Sunday clothes and being extremely frightened as to the cause of this visit.

He presented me with a deed for 300 acres of land and explained that it would be mine contingent on my settling and living on it and making improvements on it, accordingly.  The location of it was a desire on the part of the King to settle lands west of the Allegheny mountains and to push civilization of the King’s land further West.  I was happy beyond reason!  I had a family and now I could be a landowner.  I agreed to the issuer of the deed and returned immediately to Hanna with the charter, to share my good news and start planning on the new paths where our lives were leading us.

In February of 1782, there was a terrible event.  The militia from Washington County had attacked a group of pacifist Moravian Indians at Gnadenhutten.  Ninety of these Indians were bludgeoned to death.  The populace was divided between those who thought this was justified and those who abhorred the act.  Most of those who felt the action was justified had been, or had friends or relatives who had been, attacked or massacred by Indians and their hatred of all Indians was related to these events.  We had been a fortunate family who were not attacked or even threatened by Indians, although we had seen roving bands of them from time to time during our first years on our property.  Our feelings were ones of horror at the atrocity.

I remember vividly that, having been made part of the Pennsylvania Militia, I had been assigned to Captain Sharp’s company.  My rating was as a Private 6th Class.  Andrew, my first born son, was assigned to Captain James Munn’s company.  There were 18 companies formed in all.  These companies were under the command of Colonel William Crawford.