John Shields and Elizabeth Carson

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Husband John Shields ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 18 Aug 1759 - Chester Co, PA 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 26 Oct 1840 4
         Buried:  - Washington Church Cemetery

       Marriage: 8 Oct 1818 4

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   Other Spouse: Mary Marshall (      -Bef 1818) 4 - 1782 4

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Wife Elizabeth Carson ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Sarah Shields ⁴

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General Notes: Husband - John Shields

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He settled in what is now Black-lick township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, about 1800. He served in the War of 1812. [HIC 1880, 447]

He was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and moved to Toboyne township, then in Cumberland (later Perry) County, from where he enlisted in the war for independence at the age of seventeen years. On one occasion he substituted for his father and at another for a neighbor, and later served in the State militia in quelling the Indian outbreaks. In 1782 he married, and a year later moved across the mountains into what was then known as the Indian country, settling on the bank of Blacklick creek, near where Gen. Charles Campbell had built his mill, and at what was later known as the Shields ford. He was a hunter and Indian scout and came from a family known for their love of frays, and was seven feet tall. The settlers living between blockhouses depended upon him to warn them of the movements of the Indians.
He was pensioned by the government for his services in the war, as shown by the military records at Washington.

In 1785 he and his wife loaded a few effects on pack horses, and started to find a home west of the Allegheny mountains. In crossing the mountains, their son, William, was placed in a creel; on the other end was put a large favorite cat and eight pounds of flax to balance him. In descending the western slope, William became restless. His father took him out of the creel, and carried him in his arms for some distance in advance of the party. Calls of the father "to hurry up, come quick," aroused the remainder of the party. Crouched on the side of the path was a starved she panther, which disputed the right of way. The mother took her babe, while the father and another man of the party stoned the panther to death.
They landed at Blacklick, and stopped with General Charles Campbell. [HIC 1880, 337]

He was a native of Ireland and settled in what is now Black Lick township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, about 1800. He served in the War of 1812 and during part of that time was employed by the government as an Indian spy and to give notice to the western forts of any threatened attack upon them by Indians. [BHCIAC, 280]

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General Notes: Wife - Elizabeth Carson

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from Center Twp, Indiana Co, PA

1 —, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 447.

2 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: John M. Gresham & Co., 1891), Pg 279.

3 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 1010, 1234.

4 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 1011, 1234.