Born in Virginia, he was part of the army that in 1758 captured Fort Duquesne, where Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania now stands and later settled in Fayette County, Kentucky. Crawford was a friend of George Washington. Like Washington, Crawford had been a junior officer under the British and a surveyor. Crawford was also a veteran of the Braddock Expedition, Pontiac's War, and Lord Dunmore's War. Crawford had led previous missions against the Native Americans, and atrocities had been committed on both sides. In 1782, Washington persuaded him to take command of an army to attack Indians north of the Ohio River. Taking the rank of colonel, he led an unsuccessful mission. While in retreat, Crawford and several other men were captured. Crawford was tied to a stake, burned, and scalped in retaliation for the patriot massacre of the neutral Natives at the Moravian mission at Gnadenhutten. British liaison Simon Girty was a witness to Crawford's execution, which took place in what is now Wyandot County, Ohio.
The Legislature on the March 12, 1800, passed an act separating Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Warren, and Erie counties from the territory of Allegheny County, which were to form temporarily one county under the name of Crawford.
Crawford County was named in honor of ColonelWilliamCrawford who was a staunch defender of the white settlers from the attacks of Indians.
Crawford County, which is one of the largest counties territorially in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, consists of two third-class cities, fourteen boroughs, and thirty-five second-class townships.
For, while WilliamCrawford was not a great or famous man, he was one of the most popular and respected citizens on the frontier, and his long record of service to his country was one to do credit to any man of that day or this.
Crawford (if your lordship purposes to take the route of Pittsburgh), whom I took the liberty of recommending as a good woodsman, and well acquainted with the lands in that quarter, that he may be disengaged when we get to his house, which is directly on the communication.
WilliamCrawford had heard of the expedition, and in fact was several times consulted by the various militia officers in regards to the plans for it.
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