Colonel John Armstrong Destroyed Indian Town of Kittanning September 8, 1756

Before Governor Robert Morris was superseded by William Denny he concerted with Colonel John Armstrong an expedition against the Indian town of Kittanning, on the Allegheny, the stronghold of Captains Jacobs and Shingas, the most active Indian chiefs, and from which place they distributed their war parties along the frontier.

When Governor Denny assumed the office of Governor his predecessor communicated to him his plans for this expedition, which were favorably received by the Governor and his Council.

The details of this enterprise had been perfected in great secrecy. It is quite likely that Colonel Armstrong was selected for this purpose, not only on account of his well-known military prowess, but for the further fact that his beloved brother, Lieutenant Edward Armstrong, had been killed in the attack and destruction of Fort Granville, and for the many other depredations which the Indians had committed in the Juniata Valley.

Colonel Armstrong collected his forces at Fort Shirley, at Aughwick, now Huntingdon County, consisting of 300 troops, divided into seven companies. Among the captains were James Hamilton, Hugh Mercer, Edward Nord and James Potter, all afterward distinguished officers of the Revolution and leading citizens of the State.

On September 2, 1756, he came up with the advanced party at “Beaver Dams,” a few miles south of Frankstown, on the north branch of the Juniata. Here the little army struck the celebrated Kittanning path, well trodden by Indians in their travels to the westward.

620On the 7th, the evening, within six miles of Kittanning, the scouts discovered a fire in the road, and four Indians about it, but these could not be attacked, as one or more might escape and alarm the town. Lieutenant Hogg and twelve men were left to watch them, with orders to fall upon them at daybreak. The main body then made a circuit and proceeded to the village.

Guided by the whooping of the Indians at a dance, the army approached the place by the river, about 100 perches below the town. They arrived at 3 o’clock on the morning of the 8th near a cornfield in which some of the enemy were lodged, sleeping in the open on account of the excessive heat of the weather.

As soon as the dawn of the new day made the town visible the troops attacked it through the cornfield, killing several of the enemy. The men were wearied by a forced march of thirty miles and had been aroused from sound sleep to make the attack, but they fought with great eagerness.

When the firing began Captain Jacobs immediately sounded the war whoop, and with a number of Indians, as the English prisoners afterward told Colonel Armstrong, cried: “The white men are at last come, we will soon have scalps enough,” but at the same time ordered their squaws and children to flee to the woods.

Captain Jacobs defended his house bravely and through loopholes in the logs a deadly fire was poured into the provincial troops.

The Indians refused quarter, saying they were men and would not be prisoners. At this point Colonel Armstrong turned his attention to the houses from which the Indians were making such a stand. He received a bad wound in his shoulder, but continued to direct the attack. He found the houses must be destroyed, and ordered the contiguous buildings set on fire, which was performed by his officers and soldiers with much dispatch.

The Indians fired at every moving object and as their aim was deadly many soldiers were killed or wounded.

Soon as the buildings were set on fire the Indians were given another opportunity to surrender themselves prisoners, but again they refused. One Indian declared he did not care for death; he could kill four or five more before he died, and some began to sing as the flames burned near them. The few who burst from the burning buildings and ran for the river were shot down by the soldiers.

Captain Jacobs was shot as he attempted to get out of an upper window. Armstrong’s soldiers identified the powder horn and pouch he wore as one he had lately received from a French officer in exchange for Lieutenant Edward Armstrong’s boots, which he carried from Fort Granville, where the lieutenant was killed.

The soldiers got the scalp of the great Indian chief, as they also did of his squaw and a young Indian, called the “King’s Son.”

621Before this time Captain Hugh Mercer had been severely wounded in the arm and was carried to the top of the hill above the town, where a number of the wounded men gathered. These soon discovered from their elevated position that Indians were passing the river and taking to the hills, they thought with the intention of surrounding and cutting off the troops from any possible retreat. Colonel Armstrong would not believe this their design, but sent men in every direction to keep him posted upon the enemy’s movements. The Indians in their hasty retreat left behind a number of English scalps and not a few white prisoners.

Instead of cutting down the cornfield, the colonel immediately assembled the wounded and loaded them upon the few Indian horses which they had collected.

The return march was slow and tedious, made so by the many wounded and the constant watch necessary to prevent a surprise attack from ambush. Captain Mercer was carried by some of his men over a different road and Colonel Armstrong was alarmed for his safety.

Colonel Armstrong in his report of the action at Kittanning said he could not estimate the loss of the enemy, as many were burned in the buildings, but he could account for thirty or forty killed. They brought back a dozen scalps and eleven English prisoners.

The loss sustained by the provincial forces was seventeen killed, thirteen wounded and nineteen missing. All the wounded recovered and all but two of the missing reached their homes.

In speaking of the horrible Indian massacres which followed Braddock’s defeat, Drake in his Indian history, says:

“Shingas and Captain Jacobs were supposed to have been the principal instigators of them, and a reward of $700 was offered for their heads.“

King Shingas was the greatest Delaware warrior at that time. Heckwelder, who knew him personally, says:

“Were his war exploits all on record they would form an interesting document, though a shocking one.”

King Shingas happened to be at Fort Duquesne when Colonel Armstrong destroyed Kittanning.

The Corporation of Philadelphia, on the occasion of Colonel Armstrong’s victory, addressed a complimentary letter to him, January 5 following, thanking him and his officers for their gallant conduct and presented him with a piece of plate.

Many descendants of the gallant Colonel Armstrong are living today and well may they be proud of such a distinguished ancestor.

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