144 " [Senate 



from destroying the orchards and cornfields of these -warlike tribes, 

 pictured this valley in such glowing colors, that it attracted the at- 

 tention of the older settlements, and soon emigrants from the eastern 

 counties in this State and from the lower counties in Pennsylvania, 

 took up their abode in the beautiful but wilderness valley of the 

 Chemung ; and now the sturdy settler's axe echoed from hill to 

 hill, w^here previous to Gen. Sullivan's expedition, nought was heard 

 save the savage war whoop, or the panther's fearful cry. 



These early settlers endured great privations and encountered 

 many difficulties, during their first few years residence in this then 

 vast wilderness. Among the most prominent was the want of mills; 

 these hardy pioneers had not only to hew, or split from trees, the 

 floors and coverings of their log cabins, but were compelled to have 

 recourse to the pounding block, to prepare the first corn raised for 

 food. The nearest mill at this period w^as at Wyoming, a name 

 and place immortalized in the early history of our country, by the 

 bloody massacre of its inhabitants. 



The rivers afforded the only highways through this almost unbro- 

 ken wilderness, and the only means of access to this mill, was by 

 the slow and tedious navigation of canoes, which were pushed by 

 the men more than one hundred miles against a strong current, to 

 bring a scanty supply of the staff of life to their famishing families. 



To obviate these difficulties, Maj. Wynkoop, one of the earliest 

 settlers of the town of Chemung, w^hich is the most eastwardly in 

 the county, in the second year of his residence here, from the moun- 

 tain rock roughly broke out millstones, and erected a flouring, or as 

 it was more familiarly called a "grist-mill." This was a source of 

 much joy and comfort to the people, and greatly facilitated the set- 

 tlement of the country. 



The pioneers, following the route of Sullivan's army, commenced 

 the settlement here, which soon extended up the river; the alluvial 

 lands, which were very productive, were of course first selected, and 

 consequently the settlement was confined to the valley, which opens 

 from one to two miles wide. 



The alluvial lands are under a tolerably good and improving state 

 of cultivation; the hills adjoining the river are high, and upon their 

 face somewhat barren, but gradually recede and are mostly suscepti- 

 ble of cultivation; the back lands are high and rather broken, pro- 

 ducing fine wheat and grass, and admirably adapted to grazing. A con- 

 siderable portion of this town has but recently been settled, and 

 there arc lands yet in market, which offer inducements to settlers of 

 enterprize. 



The buildings of the original settlers, along the river, are chiefly 

 replaced by tasteful farm houses, denoting prosperity. 



It was in this town that Gen. Sullivan first commenced hostilities 

 with the Indians, and burned a small village from which the Indians 

 had fled; they were pursued by the division under the command of 

 Gen. Hand, and brought to an engagement at a narrow ridge called 

 Hogback hill, from which ambuscade they were soon driven, and 

 the division returned to Fort Sullivan. It is not strange that the 



