USA > Pennsylvania > York County > A Brief History of York County > Part 2
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It was determined now to send an expedition to defeat the Indians who were behind strong fortifications at Kittanning along the Allegheny River, forty miles northeast of Pittsburg. Colonel John Armstrong, of Carlisle, was in command. Cap-
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tain Hance Hamilton, with his sixty men from York County, did valiant service in this expedition, which resulted in the complete route of the Indians. This occurred in 1756.
Forbes' Expedition.
The provincial soldiers being successful with this affair, it was determined by Sir William Pitt, the next year, to organize an expedition for the conquest of the French and Indians at Fort Duquesne. General Forbes, a trained soldier from Eng- land, and with more sagacity than Braddock, was placed in charge of this expedition. He had under his command an army of 1,200 Highlanders, 350 royal Americans, and about 5,000 Provincial soldiers from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, including 2,000 Virginians under the command of Colonel George Washington. Many of these troops passed through York. General Forbes then rendezvoused at Car- lisle. The Pennsylvania troops, about 2,000 in number, were under the command of Colonel Bouquet, a Swiss patriot who had an experience of several years in European wars. The Forbes expedition was a brilliant success and ended the French and Indian war, so far as Pennsylvania was con- cerned. The French were driven from Fort Duquesne down the Ohio River, and their Indian allies fled in dismay to the north and west. A new defense was built on the same site, which was named Fort Pitt, in honor of Sir William Pitt, the great English statesman, who had projected this expedition. Dr. David Jameson, of York, was major of the Second Battal- ion, commanded by Colonel James Burd; James Ewing, then living a few miles east of York, and who became a brigadier- general in the Revolution, was adjutant of the Third Battalion, commanded by Colonel Hugh Mercer, the bosom friend of Washington. Archibald McGrew, Robert McPherson, and Thomas Hamilton, from York County, were captains in Mer- cer's Battalion. That brilliant soldier, Hance Hamilton, was major of Armstrong's Battalion.
York County in the Revolution.
The inhabitants of York County after the defeat of the French at Fort Duquesne were never endangered by incur- sions from the Indians. They turned their attention to the arts of Peace. The little town on the Codorus received a new impetus of life. Many new houses were built and the popu- lation was soon increased to 1,500. But there was trouble ahead for these honest burghers of York and the tillers of the soil in the entire county and all over the thirteen American colonies, which had been founded and settled by authority of the English Government. It was charged by the American
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colonists that the mother country was enforcing tyrannical laws which encroached upon the civil rights of American sub- jects. What is known to history as the Boston Port Bill caused dissension from New Hampshire to Georgia. Meet- ings were held in opposition to the laws which were being en- forced by the King and Parliament. They were held in all the centres of population. One of these convened at York in 1774, being presided over by Michael Swope, afterward a Colonel in the Revolution. At this meeting it was decided by unanimous vote that the inhabitants of York County would support their brethren in Philadelphia and other parts of the colonies in asking for redress, and. relief for the distressed condition of the inhabitants of Boston. Delegates were ap- pointed to attend the first Provincial Conference at Philadel- phia. James Smith attended this Conference and, soon after
WESTERN ENTRANCE, TO YORK,
The band a over the Condu, and the Baltimore Ranmed, am seen in the cover. "The Market House is in the Confer Mare, the the vid Count House occupied by Congress, in 177-1%
Western Entrance to York in 1844
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his return home, organized in York, in 1774, the first military company in America to oppose British oppression and to de- fend the rights of the colonists. The following year Smith was made a Colonel of the militia for the Province of Penn- sylvania.
York County Troops at Boston.
The tocsin of war was sounded by the speech of Patrick Henry before the Virginia assembly at Richmond, which was soon followed by the attack on the Provincial forces of Mas- sachusetts at Concord and Lexington. The patriotic ardor of the people of York County had now been aroused to the
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highest pitch when they heard that a great battle had been fought at Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. Thirteen days after this event a company of York soldiers, under the command of Michael Doudel, with Henry Miller and John Clark as lieu- tenants, began the march to Boston, where they arrived July 25, being the first troops west of the Hudson and south of Long Island to join the American forces near that city. Al- though tired and worn by their long march of 500 miles, with undaunted courage, they offered their services to General Washington immediately after their arrival, and asked that they be permitted to capture a British transport on the Charles River. The commander-in-chief commended them for their patriotism, but thought the proposition inexpedient at that time. A few days later Washington detailed them to capture some British sentinels, in order that he might learn from them the enemy's purpose in erecting certain earth- works in front of the American encampment. This daring feat was accomplished by the York County company then commanded by Lieutenant Henry Miller with the loss of one man, Corporal Cruise, a gallant soldier, who lingered for sev- eral months in a British prison in London. The trained rifle- men from York County succeeded in killing several of the enemy and bringing prisoners to the headquarters of Wash- ington at Cambridge.
The martial spirit was now rife in the town and county of York, for in the fall of 1775 five battalions of militia were or- ganized, commanded respectively by Colonel James Smith, of York; Robert McPherson, of Marsh Creek; Richard McAllis- ter, of Hanover; Colonel William Smith, of Chanceford, and William Rankin, of Newberry . township. These battalions were under regular drill and discipline for several months. Near the close of 1775, one company was selected from each battalion and a regiment of "Minute Men" organized, with . Richard McAllister, Colonel; Thomas Hartley, Lieutenant- Colonel, and David Grier, Major. Soon afterward a part of this command joined the first expedition for the conquest of Canada.
During this year and the remainder of the Revolution, the spirit of war was constantly impressed upon the people of York by the passage of troops from the southern states to join Washington's Army, and often British prisoners were brought here, or escorted to Frederick, Md., Winchester and other points in Virginia.
Patriotism and Valor of York County Soldiers.
In this brief history of York County, it is impossible to give in detail the part taken by the patriotic men. of the town and county in the Revolution. Let it suffice to say that they
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showed a valor and patriotism unexcelled in any part of the thirteen original states. In the early part of 1776, there were four armed and equipped companies in the town of York, and about 2,000 militia thorughout the county, then including Adams, ready to march to the front if their services were wanted. Many of these soldiers took part in the battles of Long Island, Fort Washington, White Plains, Germantown, Brandywine and Monmouth. James Ewing took command of the Flying Camp in 1776, and rose to the rank of Brigadier- General; Colonel Thomas Hartley, a man of high intellect as well as patriotic valor, led his men to victory on several fields of battle; General Henry Miller, a bold and dashing soldier, received the commendations of the commander-in-chief for saving the left wing of the army from defeat at the Battle of Princeton ; Colonel Richard McAllister, after organizing the
Colonel Hartley and Wife
militia of York County, marched with the regiment, which was conspicuous for its bravery at Long Island. White Plains and Fort Washington ; Major John Clark received the highest praise for his success at Long Island, and at the request of Washington, was placed on the staff of General Greene, next to the commander-in-chief, the greatest American soldier of that period; Colonel David Grier, a hero of the campaign to Canada, received two serious wounds at the famous battle of Paoli, under General Wayne; Major Joseph Prowell, with a battalion of 400 men, led the advance of Sullivan's expedition into the Wyoming Valley to drive out the hostile Indians; and Colonel Michael Swope, with a regiment of 400 men,
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fought gallantly at Fort Washington, where himself and nearly all of his comrades became prisoners of war. The achievements of these sons of York County, and the gallant soldiers who fought under them, have added lustre to the pages of American history. They won a record for military achievement, worthy of being handed down to future genera- tions.
James Smith, a practicing lawyer at York, became one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His remains now lie in the Presbyterian Church yard on East Market Street. His speeches, while a member of Congress, show that
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James Smith
he possessed ability of high order. He died at the advanced age of 92.
Colonel Hartley, famed as a soldier, also represented York County. in Congress for nearly twelve years, and was the first Pennsylvania lawyer to be admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States.
York, the Nation's Capital.
To avoid being captured by the British, the government documents and the small amount of money then in the treasury, were sent to Bethlehem in wagons, carefully guarded
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by two regiments of troops. The members of Congress, themselves, from the thirteen original states, started on horse- back for Bethlehem, where they spent Sunday, and attended services at the Moravian church. The following day they proceeded toward Lancaster. Only one day's session was held in Lancaster when it was decided that "the Susquehanna should flow between Congress and the enemy," and it ad- journed to York, which then contained 286 houses and about 1,500 inhabitants.
Coming up the road from Wright's Ferry on one calm September afternoon of the eventful year of 1777, were these illustrious men, whose acts and deeds during this dark period of the Revolution have given lustre to the pages of American history.
Among this band of patriots whose intelligence and fore- sight astonished the nations of the world, were John Hancock, Samuel Adams and John Adams, of Massachusetts; James Duane, William Duer and Gouverneur Morris, of New York ; Roger Sherman, of Connecticut; Robert Morris, General Roberdeau and James Smith, of Pennsylvania; Charles Car- roll, of Maryland; Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Harrison (ancestor of two presidents), and Francis Lightfoot Lee, of Virginia ; Dr. Witherspoon, of New Jersey, and Henry Laur- ens, of South Carolina. These men were members of Congress at York, and twenty-six of them the year before, had appended their names to that immortal document, the Declaration of Independence. When Congress assembled in York on the first day of October, 1777, in the historic old Court House, which stood in Centre Square, it beheld the chief cities of the country in the hands of the enemy and a shattered and dis- spirited army retreating before a conquering foe. The battle of Brandywine had just ended in favor of the invading British army, whose numbers were nearly double those of the Ameri- cans. In the meantime, Washington had been invested by Congress, with extraordinary powers, and soon afterward took up his winter quarters at Valley Forge.
The little band of patriots, which assembled daily in the Court House in York, had increased its membership, by the arrival of newly elected delegates in October. It sat with closed doors .. None but the members of Congress and occa- sionally a few government officials, were allowed to hear the debates on the momentous questions that engaged their atten- tion. In a building at one corner of Centre Square, Michael Hillegas, Treasurer of the United States, kept the accounts of the government. In the office of James Smith, on the west side of South George Street, John Adams presided over the Board of War, whose duty it was to administer to the wants of the army, the same as the War Department of to-day. The
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President of Congress was John Hancock, of Massachusetts, who was one of the wealthiest men in the United States. He rented a house owned by Col. Michael Swope, on the south side of. West Market Street, near Centre Square. As the executive head of the nation he lived in considerable style, and his household expenses were paid by the government. All the other members were required to pay their own expenses and received a small annual salary paid by the states they represented. Early in November John Hancock resigned as President of Congress, and Henry Laurens, of South Carolina, was chosen his successor.
Of the delegates to Continental Congress during the en- tire period of the Revolution none were more zealous in legis- lating for the prosecution of the war than Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts. He was a man of lofty patriotism and un- bounded energy. The English government blamed John Hancock and Samuel Adams more than any others for the origin of the war, and a reward of $25,000 was offered for the capture of either of them. Both Hancock and Adams, if ever captured, were to be denied pardon for their alleged treason to the mother country. With Adams as the leader of Congress while in York, the struggle for liberty was simply a matter of life or death .. Success in establishing freedom would send him down to posterity, honored by all future generations ; failure pointed to the prison cell and the ignominy of a rebel doomed to the scaffold. Everything seemed dark and gloomy during the early days of October, 1777, and some of the mem- bers of Congress were almost ready to give up the struggle in despair and accept the overtures of peace by the British government.
Washington had not yet loomed up as the dominant per- sonality of the Revolution. About this time John Adams made the following entry in his diary :
"The prospect is chilling on every side, gloomy, dark, melancholy and dispirited. When and where will light come from? Shall we have good news from Europe? Shall we hear of a blow struck by Gates against Burgoyne? Is there a possibility that Washington may yet defeat Howe? Is there a possibility that McDougall and Dickinson shall de- stroy the British detachment in New Jersey? If Philadelphia is lost, is the cause of Independence lost?" Then he con- tinues: "No, the cause is not lost. Heaven grant us one great soul. One leading mind would extricate the best cause from the ruins that seem to await it. We have as good a cause as ever was fought for. One active, masterly capacity would bring order out of this confusion and save our country."
Philip Livingstone, a delegate from the state of New York, died while Congress was in session in York. His re-
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mains were first buried in Zion Reformed churchyard, and were later moved to Prospect Hill cemetery, where they now rest.
Samuel Adams' Great Speech.
The affairs of the new born nation for a time were con- trolled by a few men, who met regularly in a caucus at the home of General Roberdeau, of Pennsylvania, who lived in a rented house nearly opposite Christ Lutheran Church on South George Street. Many of the leaders in Congress, in- cluding Henry Laurens, Benjamin Harrison, Dr. Witherspoon, Richard Henry Lee, Elbridge Gerry and John and Samuel Adams lodged. in this house. It was in the law office of James
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James Smith's Residence i
. Smith on South George Street on one October night of 1777, that Samuel Adams called a caucus. After obtaining the views of the different members, some of whom were very de- spondent, Samuel Adams rose and delivered one of the most eloquent and impressive speeches in American history, as fol- lows :
"Gentlemen: Your spirits seem oppressed with the weight of public calamities, and your sadness of countenance reveals your disquietude. A patriot may grieve at the disas- ters of his country, but he will never despair of the common-
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wealth. Our affairs are said to be desperate, but we are not without hope and not without courage. The eyes of the peo- ple of this country are upon us here, and the tone of their feeling is regulated by ours. If we as delegates in Congress give up in despair, and grow desperate, public confidence will be destroyed and American liberty will be no more.
"But we are not driven to such straits. Though fortune has been unpropitious, our conditions are not desperate ; our burdens though grievous, can still be borne ; our losses though great, can be retrieved. Through the darkness that shrouds our prosperity, the ark of safety is visible.
"Despondency, gentlemen, becomes not the dignity of our cause, nor the character of the Nation's representatives in Congress. Let us then be aroused and evince a spirit of pa- triotism that shall inspire the people with confidence in us, in themselves and in the cause of our Country. Let us show a spirit that will induce them to persevere in this struggle, until our rights shall be established and our liberty secured.
"We have proclaimed to the world our determination to die free men, rather than live slaves; we have appealed to Heaven for the justice of our cause and in the God of battle have we placed our trust. We have looked to Providence for help and protection in the past; we must appeal to the same source in the future, for the Almighty Powers from above will sustain us in this struggle for independence.
"There have been times since the opening of this war when we were reduced almost to distress, but the great arm of Omnipotence has raised us up. Let us still rely for assist- ance upon Him who is mighty to save. We shall not be abandoned by the Powers above so long as we act worthy of aid and protection. The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Good news may soon reach us from the army and from across the sea."
The patriotic fervor of the speaker on this occasion thrilled the small audience and gave them renewed energy in the passage of legislation to aid in carrying on the war.
It was not long after this event that a relative of General Israel Putnam, one of the heroes of the Revolution, brought to Congress the glad news of the defeat of the British at Sara- toga by General Gates and the surrender of the entire army under General Burgoyne. A few days later the official ac- count of this brilliant victory and conquest was brought to Congress by Colonel Wilkinson, a member of General Gates' staff. He spent one day before Congress explaining the de- tails of the battle and surrender. The next day was given to a general rejoicing in the town of York. This victory at Sara- toga was the Gettysburg of the Revolution, for it turned the tide of affairs in favor of the American cause.
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First National Thanksgiving.
President Laurens appointed Richard Henry Lee, of Vir- ginia, Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts, and General Rober- deau, of Pennsylvania, a committee of Congress to draft a national proclamation of Thanksgiving, the first in the history of the American Republic. This historic document was writ- ten by that eminent Virginian, Richard Henry Lee, who less than two years before had moved in Congress at Philadelphia, that "these United States are and of right ought to be free and independent States," and himself became one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The proclamation is re- markable in language and thought. Besides breathing forth a spirit of lofty patriotism, it also contains a deep and fervent religious sentiment.
The following is the proclamation in full :
"Forasmuch as it is the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending providence of Almighty God, to acknowledge with gratitude their obligations for benefits re- ceived, and to implore such further blessings as they stand in need of ; and it having pleased Him in His abundant mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable bounties of His com- mon Providence, but also to smile upon us in the prosecution of a just and necessary war for the defense and establishment of our inalienable rights and liberties; particularly in that He has been pleased in so great a measure to prosper the means used for the support of our troops and to crown our arms with most signal success. It is therefore recommended to the legislature or executive powers of these United States to set apart Thursday, the 18th of December next, for solemn Thanksgiving and praise; that with one heart and one voice, the people of this country may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecrate themselves to the service of the Divine Benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgments, they may join in a penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favor; and their humble and earnest supplication may be that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance ; that it may please Him graciously, to grant His blessings on the governments of these States respectively and prosper the Public Council of the whole United States ; to inspire our commanders, both by land and sea, and all under them, with that wisdom and forti- tude, which may render them fit instruments under the Provi- dence of Almighty God to secure for these United States, the greatest of all blessings, independence and peace ; that it may please Him to prosper the trade and manufactures of the peo- ple, and the labor of the husbandman, that our land may yield its increase ; to take the schools and seminaries of education,
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so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty, vir- tue and piety, under His nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion, for promotion and enlargement of that Kingdom, which consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. It is further recommended that servile labor and such recreation as at other times innocent, may be unbe- coming the purpose of this appointment on so solemn an oc- casion.'
This proclamation was adopted by Congress, October 30th, and two days later the President of Congress wrote the following letter to each of the Governors of the thirteen States then in the Union :
York in Pennsylvania, November 1, 1777.
Sir :- The arms of the United States of America having been blessed in the present campaign with remarkable suc- cess, Congress has resolved to recommend that Thursday, December 18th next, be set apart to be observed by all inhab- itants throughout the United States for a general Thanksgiv- ing to Almighty God, and I hereby transmit to you the en- closed extract from the minutes of Congress for that purpose.
Your Excellency will be pleased to take the necessary measures for carrying this resolve into effect in the State in which you reside. You will likewise find enclosed certified copy of the minutes which will show your Excellency the au- thority under which I have the honor of addressing you.
I am with great esteem and regard, sir, your Excellency's most obedient and humble servant,
HENRY LAURENS, President of Congress.
The Conway Cabal.
The story of the Conway Cabal is recorded in all works of American history. It was a conspiracy to remove Washi- ington from the head of the army, and put General Horatio Gates in his place. It obtained its name from Thomas Con- way, an Irishman who had fought in the French army and during the Revolution volunteered his services to aid the Americans in their war for independence. Congress had promised to promote him to a higher command in our army, but Washington opposed this plan. This was the cause of his opposition to the commander-in-chief.
The real cause of this conspiracy was a party faction in Congress also opposed to Washington. Among the men who joined this faction were some of the most noted patriots of that period. Washington had not yet loomed up as a domi- nating personality of the Revolution. He had won the battle
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of Trenton, but had been defeated at Long Island, White Plains, in 1776, and at Brandywine and Germantown in the fall of 1777. It was the defeat at the last two places that caused Congress to leave Philadelphia and come to York, as a place for protection and safety. At this time the opposition to Washington in Congress had increased to so high a degree that it was feared, at one time, a committee would be ap- pointed to go to his camp at Valley Forge and report against him as a competent person to command the armies and lead them to victory.
The friends of Washington, in Congress, now agreed to defend him and prevent his removal from the army. Some new delegates arrived who prevented the passing of a resolu- tion appointing a committee to go to the headquarters at Val- ley Forge.
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