George Groghan:
(abt.1720 - 1782)
He was born in Dublin (educated at
Dublin), Ireland and had daughters; Catherine (1759-1837) (m.
Joseph Thayendanegea Brant at Canajoharie, New York in 1784)
& Susannah (b.1750, near, Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania)
(m. Augustus Prevost in 1765 at Lancaster, Penn). He was a
half-brother of Edward Ward Sr. and a relative of William Powell.
George came to America about 1741
(Lancaster Co., Penn.) and established his residence at
Pennsboro, in Cumberland county (nearly opposite Harris’
Ferry, on the shores of Lake Erie), as early as 1746. From 1749
to 1754 he was a partner in the trade with William Trent, who was
his bro-in-law.
On 22d day of February 1750, George
Croghan and Andrew Montour at an Indian Treaty in behalf of the
Government of Pensylvania held at the Tawightwis Town on the Big
Mineamis creek being a branch of the River Ohio (he was also that
year at Lower Shawnee Town, near the mouth of the Scioto). In
1751, George Croghan was appointed to go to Logstown,
(instructions for his mission were dated April 25th, 1751) he
kept a journal, which he afterwards submitted to the Governor,
dated at his home, in Pennsylvania, June 10th, 1751. Croghan took
with him Andrew Montour, the interpreter, and reached Logstown
May 18th, 1751, a number of tribes attended a large council held
there. Croghan states that on the 20th of May, Joncaire, the
French agent, came from the head of the Ohio (Allegheny) with
forty Indian warriors of the Six Nations and one Frenchman. In
1753 (june) his traders were captured by 70 French/Indians, 50
miles below Lower Shawnee Town on the Kentucky River and were
taken to Montreal. In 1754, Croghan had a trading post near
Wills Creek (present day Cumberland, Maryland) and in December of
1754 he was at Fort Necessity with George Washington and the
Girty's. He was a captain in General Braddock’s failed
expedition and present at the battle of July 9th, 1755, remaining
with the general until his death. From 1756 to 1772 he is
Deputy Indian Agent (from 1758 to 1777 his headquarters were at
Fort Pitt) of Penn. & the Ohio Valley (later Illinois Country
Agent) with assistants Edward Ward & Thomas
McKee (father of Alexander) under Mj.John Campbell (Deputy
Superintendent), administered from Montreal. Another conference
commenced on July 4, 1759, and continued at intervals until the
16th, between George Croghan (deputy agent to Sir William
Johnson), Col. Mercer and a number of other officers of the
garrison, and chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, Delawares,
Shawanese and Wyandots. In September of 1761, Amherst sent
Croghan and Johnson to a grand council with the Indians at
Detroit. By March of 1765, Col. George Croghan (with Lt.
Alexander Fraser) had arrived at Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) and the
British sent Croghan west from the Fort with a Shawnee
escort to accept the surrender from the French of Fort de
Chartres. In May/June of 1765 near the mouth of the Wabash River,
his party was attacked by eighty Kickapoo and Mascouten warriors.
Groghan was captured and three Shawnee chiefs in his escort were
killed. The Miami, Wea, and Piankashaw were furious because it
happened in midst of their peace negotiations with the British
and the Shawnee planned to attack the Kickapoo and Mascouten to
avenge the deaths of their chiefs. Rather than risk war with the
Shawnee, the Kickapoo turned Croghan over to Miami and asked them
to ask the British to "cover the dead" with the
Shawnee. While he was with them, the Miami arranged a meeting
with Pontiac at Fort Ouiatenon. Pontiac agreed to "bury the
hatchet" and accompanied Croghan to Detroit in October
to sign a peace (that same month, St. Ange surrendered Fort de
Chartres to Captain Thomas Stirling). Croghan reached Illinois
Country and at later meetings at Fort de Chartres (10 Sept. 1766)
and Detroit, convinced the Wabash tribes (including the
Mascouten and Kickapoo), to allow the British to occupy the old
French forts and trading posts in the Wabash Valley. In October
of 1770 Col.Croghan was a few miles above Logstown with
Maj.George Washington & Lt.Hamilton.