Georges Township High School - Georgian Yearbook (Uniontown, PA)

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I COLONEL WILLIAM CRAWFORD -?:-ooo- : In 1782 and '83 the settlers in around Pittsburgh were greatly demor- alized by Indian raids and massacres. Several expeditions had been sent against the Indians but they had met with defeat. The setlters in North- western Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania were in despair because the Indian raids had become so frequent that the frontier was almost deserted. . President Washington was anxious to relieve the frontier and in looking around for a capable leader to lead a force against the Indians, he selected his boyhood friend, Colonel William Crawford. Who was Colonel William Crawford ? He was born in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, and was a boyhood friend of Washington's. In 1767 he moved from Virginia to the Youghiogheny River, located on a place known as Stuart's Crossingg but now known as Connellsville, Pa. After erecting his cabin and clearing the land on his farm he established a trading post and became influential in the affairs of the Colony of Pennsylvania. When the Revolution broke out Colonel Crawford was appointed by Washington to take command o fthe Colonial Troops on the Frontier, where he performed excellent service and was noted as a very able and efficient Indian lighter. After the capture of Cornwallis he thought the war was over and made all preparation for spending the rest of his days with his familyg when suddenly like a clap of thunder from a clear sky the Indians began to devastate the Frontier and massacre the inhabitants. In the midst of these horrors Washington called Crawford to command an expedition against the Indians north of the Ohio river. He accepted the command and started from Fort Pitt on the 20th of May, 1782. The expedition pushed through the forest until it reached the San- dusky near the present town of Crestline. They found the town deserted. They halted here for the .night and the 'next morning pushed on down the Sandusky River. All at once the Indians came running out of the woods toward them, yelling and whooping. Crawford's command was pressed upon the flank and rear and was thus thrown into confusion. The battle raged that whole day until night put an end to the conflict. The next morning the battle was renewed. The second day's battle ended disastrously for Crawford. He deter- mined to retreat and after this order had been received by his troops they began to flee and the retreat became a rout. Crawford attempted to bring order out of chaos but his troops were demoralized and his efforts were in vain. While attempting to rally his men he was caputred by the Indians and carried to their camp near where the town of Upper Sandusky now stands. The Indians were much elated upon the capture of Crawford. They carried him to their Council house where he was tried and condemned to death by torture. On the morning of July 7, 1782, the Indians tied Crawford to the stake and began their torture. There he suffered all the cruelties that those merciless Indians could conceive. He bore his death heroically and died like a brave man and a hero. Fayette County failed to honor Colonel Crawford until very recently. The city of Connellsville has erected a monument to the memory of this Pioneer and Soldier whose efforts were so valuable in developing our West- ern Border. a 90

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his gun as he ran. This accomplishment was to save him now. After shooting the foremost -Indian he started again to run through the forest loading his gun as he ran. After it had been charged he slackened his pace until the second Indian was close upon him when he resolved to shoot himg but the Indian was so close that he grasped the gun and now began a struggle for the possession of the weapon. The Indian almost succeeded in wrenching the gun from Lewis's hands but by a desperate effort he jerked the rifle back until the muzzle of the gun rested against the body of the Indian when Lewis pulled the trigger and the Indian fell. Lewis again away with the remaining two Indians in pursuit. When his gun was again loaded he stopped suddenly and sprang behind a tree, anxious to have done with this kind of sport, but the Indian also treed. Lewis sprang away again with the Indian in pursuit. After running a shork distance he suddenly sprang behind a large tree. The Indians also attempted to tree but the foremost Indian was unable to find a tree large enough to shelter his entire body. Wetzel fired at the portion of the body exposed and the third Indian fell. The remaining Indian made an imme- diate retreat, yelling as he went, No catch dat man, him gun all way loaded. This adventure proved Lewis Wetzel to be one of the most resourceful Indian fighters of his day. ' 89

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HEXENSHDEDL -T :-ooo-:-- Pennsylvania no longer has its witches, but it has its Hexenshdedl, or witch-village, that was founded in the nineteenth century. It was famous in the twenties for the three witches, or hexes, who practiced spells and divinations there, and were regarded by the neighbors with awe. One of these old women, who was accustomed to spend her time in wan- dering over South Mountain, had a dead cheek. The Devil had touched it. In those times a witch also had this power of numbing and killing flesh by touching it. The two other beldams, withered and forbidding, often met this woman on the mountain, each bent upon her cane, her sharp nose and perky chin appearing beneath a hood. What they did and what they said no Christian might know, but the three moving dots on the mountain-top that were seen against the moon were known to be the witches, and every good Dutchman, when he saw them, read his Bible with all the speed he knew. While these meetings lasted all sorts of mischiefs were abroadg win- dows rattled, the trees whispered, there were scuttlings and clickings of clawed feet on dark stairs and in cellars and garrets, corn was also stolen from cribs and scattered about, hay was lifted from mows and lugged off to the barns of less thrifty people, tires went out, ovens refused to bake, cats bawled as if their hearts were breaking, bells were struck, and occa- sionally some person suffered a downright injury, as in the case of the girl who disliked work and was Uspelledi' for twenty-one months, so that she could not leave her bed and chair. Her father became a-weary of these doings and made his peace with the witch who had cast the spell, by carry- ing water for her. When he had done this the crone made signs in the air, cackled a laugh, and showed her three teeth. She's well, she squeaked. And when the father went home the daughter was on her feet singing hymns with the rest of the family. One housewife could not bake her bread, the oven misbehaved so. She sent word to the witches that if her bread did not bake next day she would rouse the village and drive the hags for twenty miles. A blood-curdling yell was heard outside of her house that night, as if a devil were being forced from his congenial fires into the December chill. Nothing was seen through the windows, no hoof-marks were found in the snow, but the bread was baked next day. Some of the more timid kept on the safe side by making presents to the witches, especially of flour and vegetables. For all the Devil's aid, these poor old women lived in greater straits than any of their neighbors. In the Old World a 'soul was never sold except in pay- ment for riches, splendor, power, fame, love, pleasure, youth, long life, but in America hardly a witch made any material gain through her barter with the Hend. She usually dwelt in squalor. and her pcwers were prin- cipally exercised in prodding pins into hysterical subjects, frlghtenlng children, curdling milk, causing pigs to walk on their hind legs, and aliect- ing hens with pip. Poor creatures I -AMER? CAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS. 91 A