[31] A year and a half after this visit of Croghan’s, Turtle Creek was the site of Braddock’s defeat. For a description of the battle, and the present appearance of the site, see Thwaites, How George Rogers Clark won the Northwest and other Essays in Western History (Chicago, 1903), pp. 184, 185.
John Frazier, who had his house at the mouth of Turtle Creek, was a Pennsylvania trader, gunsmith, and interpreter, who had lived twelve years at Venango, whence he was driven by the invading French expedition the summer previous. He assisted Washington on his journey, and the next year (1754) was commissioned lieutenant of the militia forces under Trent’s command, that were to fortify the Forks of the Ohio.—Ed.
[32] The journal of Washington on this journey was on his return printed in Winchester (only two copies of which edition are known to be extant), also in London (1754). Frequent reprints have been made, and the journal has been edited by Sparks, Rupp, Craig, Shea, and Ford. The journal of Gist, who accompanied Washington, is found in Darlington’s Gist, pp. 80-87. Croghan gives a concise summary of Washington’s mission and its results.—Ed.
[33] John Patten was a Pennsylvania Indian trader, who was captured in the Miami towns by the order of the French governor (1750). He and two companions were carried to Canada, and afterwards sent to France, being imprisoned at La Rochelle, whence they appealed to the English ambassador who secured their release. See New York Colonial Documents, x, p. 241. Patten had at this time been sent to the Ohio with the Shawnee prisoners from South Carolina. See Pennsylvania Colonial Records, v, pp. 730, 731.—Ed.
[34] Six Shawnee Indians had been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in a raid, and confined in the Charleston, South Carolina, jail. On the request of Governor Hamilton, two were released and sent to Philadelphia to be delivered to their kinsfolk. The other four made their escape. See Pennsylvania Colonial Records, v, pp. 696-700.—Ed.
[35] The Half-King was a prominent Seneca or Mingo chief, whose home was at Logstown. He was faithful to the English interest, and accompanied Washington both on his journey of 1753 and his expedition of 1754; upon the latter, he claimed to have slain Jumonville with his own hand. He was decorated by the governor of Virginia in recognition of his services, and given the honorary name of “Dinwiddie” in which he took great pride. When the French secured the Ohio region, he removed under Croghan’s protection to Aughwick Creek, where he died in October, 1756.—Ed.
[36] The Chickasaws were a tribe of Southern Indians, domiciled in Western Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, who were traditional allies of the English and enemies of the French. After the Natchez War in Louisiana, the remnant of that tribe took refuge with the Chickasaws, who inflicted a severe defeat upon the French (1736), capturing and burning a Jesuit priest and several well-known officers.—Ed.
[37] The Ottawas were an Algonquian tribe, domiciled in Michigan about the posts of Mackinac and Detroit. Faithful to the French interests, they were doubtless acting under the directions of their commandants in gathering to attack the Shawnees on the Scioto—Ed.
[38] Lewis Montour, a brother of Andrew, had come the previous autumn to the governor of Pennsylvania, with a message purporting to have been sent by the Ohio Indians; they were represented as requesting help against the French, and the building of forts on the river, and as offering all the lands east of the river to pay the debts of the traders. As the character of those who claimed to have obtained this treaty was open to suspicion, the governor had sent Croghan and Andrew Montour to ascertain the truth of the matter. The unauthorized insertion of so great a land grant, is a good specimen of the methods by which the unprincipled traders sought to take advantage of the Indians. See Pennsylvania Colonial Records, v, pp. 691-696.—Ed.
[39] Shingas, brother of King Beaver, was one of the principal leaders of the Delaware Indians on the Ohio, where he had a town at the mouth of Beaver Creek. Shortly after this meeting with Croghan, he deserted to the French, and his braves were a terror to the border settlers. Governor Denny of Pennsylvania set a price of £200 upon his head. Post had a conference with Shingas (1758), and persuaded him to return to the English alliance; nevertheless, at the occupation of the Forks of the Ohio by the English, Shingas with his band retreated to the Muskingum. The last mention of him seems to be in 1762 (Pennsylvania Colonial Records, viii, p. 690), and he appears to have died before the conspiracy of Pontiac (1763), in which his tribe took part.—Ed.