Nations in November of 1768, extended the legitimate line of English
colonial settlement from the line established by the Proclamation of
1763 to a point on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River at the mouth
of Lycoming Creek (the Tiadaghton, as it was so ambiguously
labeled).[13] This extension, ostensibly for the purpose of providing
lands for the colonial veterans of the French and Indian War, became a
boon to speculators and an inducement to the Scotch-Irish squatters who
took lands beyond the limits of this "New Purchase" in what was to
become the Fair Play territory.

In the summer of 1778 the war whoop once again caused the settlers of
the West Branch Valley to flee from their homes for fear of a repetition
of the Wyoming Massacre. The peril of the moment is vividly described in
this communication to the Executive Council in Philadelphia from Colonel
Samuel Hunter, commander of Fort Augusta:

The Carnage at Wioming, the devastations and murders upon the West
branch of Susquehanna, On Bald Eagle Creek, and in short throughout
the whole County to within a few miles of these Towns (the recital
of which must be shocking) I suppose must have before now have
reached your ears, if not you may figure yourselves men, women, and
children, Butchered and scalped, many of them after being promised
quarters, and some scalped alive, of which we have miserable
Instances amongst us.... I have only to add that A few Hundreds of
men well armed and immediately sent to our relief would prevent much
bloodshed, confusion and devastation ... as the appearance of being
supported would call back many of our fugitives to save their
Harvest for their subsistence, rather than suffer the inconveniences
which reason tells me they do down the Country and their with their
families return must ease the people below of a heavy and
unprofitable Burthen.[14]

Robert Covenhoven, who lived at the mouth of the Loyalsock Creek and who
fled to Sunbury (Fort Augusta) also, described the flight:

Such a sight I never saw in my life. Boats, canoes, hog-troughs,
rafts hastily made of dry sticks, every sort of floating article,
had been put in requisition, and were crowded with women, children,
and plunder. There were several hundred people in all.... The whole
convoy arrived safely at Sunbury, leaving the entire range of farms
along the West Branch to the ravages of t