A history of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. From the earliest times., Part 28

Author: Freeze, John G. (John Gosse), 1825-1913
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Bloomsburg, Pa. : Elwell & Bittenbender
Number of Pages: 594


USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > A history of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. From the earliest times. > Part 28


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They reached Fort Mifflin on the first day of September. One of the number was released on the second day after the arrest.


The names of the persons arrested and detained, with their ages and occupations, and length of incarceration, are as follows :


NAMES. AGE. 37.


OCCUPATION


DETAINED.


Daniel McHenry,


farmer & merchant.


Elias J. McHenry,


33.


farmer.


70 days. 49


Mathias Kline, Abraham Kline,


Samuel Coleman,


45.


53


¥


Josiah Coleman,


Charles Coleman,


26.


53


¥


John Lemons,


35. farmer and butcher. 8 mo. 11


4 mo.


*Joseph Coleman,


68.


*Was a soldier in the war of 1812.


400


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


Silas Benjamin, 31.


53


Samuel Appleman 46.


William Appleman, 51.


farmer and lumberman. 83


.6


Reuben Appleman, 25.


farmer.


52


Thomas Appleman, 22.


53


James McHenry, 44.


merchant.


103


Dyer L. Chapin, 44.


4 mo.


2


66


Elias McHenry, 47.


farmer.


49


Samuel Kline,


John Rantz,


60.


8 mo.


11


** Wm. E. Roberts, John Yorks,


Henry Hurliman, 49.


4 mo.


9


George Hurliman, 46.


4 mo.


3


John J. Stiles, 39.


inn keeper. 4 mo.


Hiram F. Everett, 33.


merchant.


4 mo.


Stott E. Colley, 52.


farmer. 4 mo.


Benjamin Colley, 37.


8 mo.


11


Joseph Van Sickle,


Rohr M'Henry, 36.


farmer and distiller. 2 mo.


farmer.


53


tJohn C. Karns,


23.


53


Montgomery Cole, 40.


53


Russell M'Henry.


26.


4 mo.


5


James Evans,


53.


52


Jonathan Steele,


21.


carpenter.


49


Wm. Hurlyman,


19.


farmer


53


Valentine Fell,


49.


blacksmith. 8 mo.


11


įJohn R. Davis, 58.


farmer.


53


§Armillis Davis,


20.


carpenter.


5 mo.


3


Samuel M'Henry,


57.


farmer.


4 mo,


17


M. D. Appleman, 26.


wheelwright.


53


John Baker, 44.


farmer.


53


66


Abram Hartman, 29.


4 mo.


4


** Died in the Fort.


tBeen in the service nine months.


*Sick when arrested,


§Drafted while in the West and knew nothing of it until he ar- rived at home.


John Karns, 59.


H. H. Hurliman,


carpenter. farmer. 53


401


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


None of these persons, we believe, (with the one exception not- ed) were drafted men, or amenable upon any pretense whatever to the jurisdiction of military authority.


Cadwallader then moved his forces up the creek beyond Benton and hunted in all directions for the fort, field pieces and in- trenchments, for a week. He came back to Bloomsburg after the search, and in an interview with Senator Buckalew, Judge Elwell and Col. Tate, pronounced "the whole thing a complete farce." He left Bloomsburg for his home in Philadelphia, on Wednesday evening, September 7th, 1864.


OBJECT OF THE RAID.


During the progress of the occupation of 1864, calumniation of our people was scattered broadcast by the radical press and by radical orators. It was announced by them that insurgents num- bering hundreds or thousands were armed and organized in this county ; that they had thrown up intrenchments ; that they had erected a fort; that they had field-pieces or cannon, and that ref- ugees from Canada and deserters from other sections had joined them in considerable numbers. Though all these statements were utterly false, they were made and repeated with the utmost confi- dence because an excuse was wanted for the steps taken, for the outrages committed by lawless power. One example of these slanders may be mentioned :


A certain Reuben E. Wilson, a preacher, then resided in Blooms- burg and was seduced from his sacred calling.


The following letter will show the flagitious statements made by him in a street speech at Milton, and will illustrate the course of insolent slander to which our people were subjected in the days of the military occupation.


MILTON, Sept. 14, 1865. J. G. FREEZE, EsQ.,


Dear Sir :


Your note of the 12th inst. is re- ceived, and in reply, say, that I did not hear the speech made by Rev. Wilson myself; but he stated in his speech in this place in the open street, that there were some thousands of men up Fish- ingcreek in arms against the Government-that these men at- tempted to set fire to the town of Bloomsburg several times, and had burned Mr. Clark's stable.


402


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


I have made inquiry since the receipt of your letter of those who heard the speech ; and they say he said as above stated. The exact number of thousands they do not now recollect.


Truly Yours,


C. W. THARP.


Mr. Tharp is a gentleman of high credit, a member of the Bar, and has recently represented Northumberland county in the Leg- islature. It is perhaps only necessary to add, that it is under- stood that Mr. Clark's stable was burned through the carelessness of some little boys who were playing about it with matches, and that the other statements made by Wilson were without founda- tion.


But no matter what were the statements made to invite the military inroads, or to give to it abroad a color of necessity or propriety, after troops were sent here one thing is very certain: That the military authorities were without any excuse whatever for continuing their occupation of the county and for holding our citizens in prison, as well as for sundry acts committed or author- ized by them while the occupation continued, (to which we shall hereafter refer). For the troops traversed the whole course of Fishing Creek from its mouth to its sources, and ascended the North Mountain into the forests of Sullivan, "scouring" the whole region through which they passed, and ascertained beyond all question that there was no insurrection-no field works, no fort, no cannon, no refugees from Canada or deserters from abroad- and that there had not been, in point of fact, in all that region any actual resistance to the execution of the laws or molestation of any officer, civil or military, in the performance of his duties. All this was fully known not only to the corrupt officer (Lt. Col. Stewart) who had immediate charge of the troops, but to Gen. Cadwallader himself. His declaration that the alleged insurrect- ion (or his chase of it?) was "a complete farce," was based upon his personal examination of "the seat of war"-of his scientific inspection of the sugar-camps of Benton and the huckleberries of Sullivan-as well as upon his personal intercourse with the in- habitants upon the line of his route.


We are not aware that there were any deserters (properly so called) in the county at the time of this military incursion. If there were such they must have been very few in number. There


403


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


were some non-reporting drafted men as there were in all other parts of the country, but it is preposterous to allege that the pur- pose was to secure them to the public service. They were not numerous and not one among them (so far as we know or believe) had ever offered the slightest resistance to a legal or regular ar- rest. Certainly troops were not to be called for to arrest drafted men until the ordinary means had failed, and then only so many as were reasonably necessary for the purpose. Besides, the army sent into the county was more likely to drive off drafted men than to arrest them, and its cost was twenty times as much as would have been required to obtain voluntary enlistments equal in num- ber to the number of men who had failed to report. But in point of fact it was announced that the occupation of the county was to put down an armed and organized insurrection, and the troops proceeded at once to arrest citizens who did not owe military ser- vice, instead of drafted men, thus exhibiting its object in an un- mistakable manner.


NECESSITY OF THIS NARRATIVE.


Having described the beginning of the occupation, exposed the pretenses for it, and mentioned the first arrests made in the pros- ecution of its unholy work, we are brought naturally to the nar- ration of its performances after it became fixed upon our people. The necessity for this narrative consists in the fact that we de- scribe a great crime for which some degree of punishment is to be inflicted by public opinion, and that justice demands that the victims of the military raid as well as our people generally, should be defended against falsehood and slander. Besides, our review must be instructive as it will admonish us that arbitrary power is always selfish, unjust, and oppressive, and that its encroachments and usurpations are to be opposed with sleepless vigilance and steady courage.


But we proceed without further digression, with the narrative of occurrences after the troops were located in the county.


TROOPS AT ELECTIONS.


"No body of troops in the army of the United States or of this Commonwealth shall be present, either armed or unarmed, at any place of election within this Commonwealth during the time of such election : Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to prevent any officer or soldier from exercising


404


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


the right of suffrage in the election district to which he may be- long, if otherwise qualified according to law."


(Act, 2nd July 1839, Sec. 95-P. Laws, 541.)


This is a very plain law and a very good one, intended to se- cure the independence of elections, and it was in full force in 1864 at the time of these occurrences. But it was held in con- tempt by the military power and was rudely broken.


The following performances took place in the county :


At the election eleven soldiers with arms stood at the election polls in Centre township all day.


In Beaver township a camp of about sixty soldiers was located within a few rods of the polling place ; and from ten to fifteen of them stood at the polls all day, the squads relieving one another.


In Mount Pleasant township from ten to fifteen soldiers came upon the ground in the morning before the polls opened, and at- tended the voting the whole day, armed.


In Fishingcreek township ten to twelve soldiers armed were stationed at the polls and other squads within call at three differ- ent points on the road leading to the place of holding the election. Two men were arrested on the election day.


In Hemlock township eleven soldiers stood armed, all day at the polls, and some part of the time twelve were present.


In Benton township, at the State election, about fifteen soldiers prowled around the clection ground all day ; and at the Presiden- tial election about forty of them were in the township, some of them attending the polls.


In Jackson township there were eight or ten in squads of two, who marched around the place of holding the election all day, and at the close of the election they all came into the house and demanded the returns. Of course they were refused.


In Sugarloaf township at the State election two armed soldiers were located within half a mile of election house in one direction -two more within a quarter of a mile in another-two or more at Ezekiel Cole's and West Creek, within a mile ; and four march- ed past the polls repeatedly during the day. And at the Presi- dential election six or eight armed soldiers and an orderly stood in the yard of the house where the election was being held, and others near by. In the evening they came and demanded the re- turns, sword in hand.


405


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


In Briarcreek township four soldiers armed, arrived the night before the November election, and they staid about the grounds all day until the closing of the polls. They arrested one man dur- ing the day.


In Orange township and within the village and within easy dis- tance of the polls, there were a number of soldiers at the October election. Between that and the November election an additional number arrived, took possession of the public school house, then occupied by a school of about seventy pupils, and held it till so late in the winter, that the people of the township were deprived of the benefit of a public school for the year. This seizure and appropriation of property and violation of private right was most wanton and unprovoked, and was instituted and applauded by civilians who had passions. to gratify and interests to subserve.


ELECTION ARRESTS.


Immediately before and on the day of the State Election, (1864,) a number of arrests were made at various points in the County to prevent citizens from voting, and in one instance to wreak revenge upon a county officer for preventing, in a particular case, the con- summation of such a rascally purpose. A part of these arrests were made under military orders by soldiers of the Army of Occu- pation, and part under authority of the Deputy Provost Marshal for the county, by soldiers who constituted his guard, having been assigned to him for service. Some of those cases (selected by way of example) we will hereafter describe. For the present we propose to open up a little the character of the officer who com- manded the troops and whose word, for a time, was law absolute in this county. As the main instrument of despotism in making arrests, and clearly responsible for most of them, he merits partic- ular notice and shall receive it.


LIEUT. COL. STEWART.


One of the corrupt performances of this officer is shown by the subjoined documents, the originals of which are now in our poss- ession. Mr. Alexander Hess of this county, a drafted man clearly entitled to be excused by reason of physical disability, was coerced by Stewart into paying him $100, as the condition of escaping an arrest or standing discharged from the draft. Observe the date of this transaction-15th September 1864-when the reign of ter- ror was fully established, and when the military commander could


406


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


with most effect use his power to plunder his victims. This cor- rupt villian knew perfectly well that he had no power to discharge any one from the draft, that power residing in the Board of En- rollment of the District, and he knew also, from a personal exam- ination of the case, that Mr. Hess was unfit for service and would not be held to service by any competent authority. But the op- portunity of extortion was greedily seized by hini and he appro- priated the hard-earned money of this poor man to his private use aud carried it off with him when he left the county. The docu- ments are as follows :-


AFFIDAVIT.


State of Pennsylvania, County of Columbia. SS.


Alexander Hess of the said County being duly sworn saith :


That he was drafted into the military service of the United States in the year A. D. 1864 ; That on the 15th day of September, A. D, 1864, he reported to Charles Stewart, Lt. Col. Command- ing U. S. Forces in Columbia County. That Col. Stewart inquir- ed of your Deponent what sum of money he would give to be dis- charged from the Draft and not to be further troubled ; stating at the same time that he had the authority to discharge him. Your De- ponent replied that he was poor and not able topay much, but of- fered to Col. Stewart for a certificate of discharge fifty dollars. Stewart refused this and notified your Deponent that he would be held to service, and that he (Stewart) could do as he pleased with him. Finally he agreed to grant the discharge upon the payment of one hundred dollars. That sum was thereupon paid to him, the said Lt. Colonel Charles Stewart, and he gave a dis- charge of which the following is a copy.


HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES


Sept. 15th, 1864.


This is to certify that I have this day examined Alexander Hess of Sugarloaf township, Columbia county, and find him badly rup- tured and unfit for service in the armies of the United States :


CHAS. STEWART, Lt. Col. Com'dg."


That upon presenting the original of the forgoing certificate to William Silver, Deputy Provost Marshal of the District, he was informed that it was worthless, and that he must report: That


407


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


your Deponent then gave bond with security in the sum of one thousand dollars, to report to the proper authorities whenever called upon.


That he received a notice hereto annexed, requiring him to re- port at Bloomsburg, on the 25th January A. D. 1865. That he did so report, and was by them discharged; as is certified by the said Dep. Pro. Marshal, hereto annexed :


ALEXANDER HESS.


Columbia County, ss.


On the 25th day of February A. D. 1867, personally appeared before me, Jesse Coleman, Prothonotary of said county Alexan- der Hess the said Deponent to me personally known, and being duly sworn according to law saith, that the facts set forth in the forgoing statement subscribed by him are true to the best of his knowledge and belief.


Sworn and subscribed


before me 25th Febr'y. ALEX. HESS.


A. D. 1867.


JESSE COLEMAN, Prothy.


BOND.


Know all men by these presents that we Alexander Hess of Sugarloaf township in the County of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, and Henry C. Hess and Joshua B. Hess. all of the same township are held and firmly bound unto the United States of America in the sum of two thousand dollars lawful money of the United States to be paid to the said United States or the au- thorities properly constituted to receive the same ; to which pay- ment well and truly to be made and done we do bind ourselves and each of us by himself for and in the whole, our heirs, execu- tors and administrators and each of us firmly by these presents ; sealed with our seals and dated the seventeenth day of January A. D. 1865.


Whereas, the said Alexander Hess has been drafted into the military service of the United States ; now the condition of this obligation is such that if the said Alexander Hess shall, whenever called upon by the Deputy Provost Marshal of said Columbia county or by any other of the properly constituted authorities of the United States aforesaid to report as a drafted man as afore- said,-if he shall so report when so called upon then this obliga-


408


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


tion to be null and void, or else to be and remain in full force and virtue.


Signed, sealed and delivered ) ALEX HESS, [L. S.] in presence of J. S. Woods and H. C. HESS, [L. S.]


W. Wirt.


J. B. HESS, [L. S.]


NOTICE.


Deputy Provost Marshal's Office, Bloomsburg Jan. 24th 1865.


ALEXANDER HESS,


Sir: You will report at these Head Quar- ters Wednesday Jan. 25, 1865, without delay to meet the Board of Examiners at ten o'clock.


By Order of WILLIAM SILVER, Deputy Provost Marshal 13th District Pa. Per W. H. Abbott, Agent.


CERTFICATE.


I, William Silver, late Deputy Provost Marshall of the 13th District of Pennsylvania do hereby certify on honor, that Mr. Alexander Hess, within named, in pursuance of the annexed no- tice, did report at Bloomsburg, to the Board of Examiners, on the 25th day of January A. D. 1865, and that upon examination he was discharged by the Board on account of physical disability- Rupture. Witness my hand this 25th day of February A. D. 1867.


WILLIAM SILVER, Late Deputy Provost Marshal.


Case of Rev. A. R. Rutan :- On the 31st day of August 1864, this gentleman was arrested by three soldiers at his residence in the lower end of Luzerne county and brought across the county line, about ten o'clock at night, to the camp near Benton. The day following he was taken by Lt. Col. Stewart before Gen. Cad- wallader who, perceiving no reason for holding him, discharged him upon parole to appear when called for, and he returned home. He was not wanted or called for until the night before the October election, when six drunken soldiers arrested him again at his resi- dence and hurried him across the county line to the camp near Coleman's. This was late in the night and the arrest was made in a rude and threatening manner to the great disturbance and


409


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


alarm of a quiet family. A man named Steele was compelled to drive Mr. Rutan's team to the camp. Mr. Rutan was kept at the camp two days and nights, sleeping on the ground, and was then sent to Harrisburg by way of Bloomsburg, under guard. Thus an additional voter was silenced at the October election. The 44 electors of this county, first arrested, were meantime securely held in custody at Fort Mifflin (save one who died a prisoner,) and a number of citizens (some of whose cases will be mentioned here- after) were also arrested on the day of election, or just before, and withheld from the polls.


Mr. Rutan confessedly had broken no law, nor had he interpos- ed any act of resistance to the prosecution of the war. He was a man well advanced in years and not liable to military duty or to mili- tary jurisdiction and he was a peaceful and inoffensive citizen. But these circumstances counted as nothing in his favor when the grasp of military power instigated by political hostility was upon him and he was compelled to pass the ordeal of an unlawful military com- mission. They were "as dust in the balance" against the fact that he was a Democrat, that he had been active or at least em- phatic in his condemnation of the party in power, and that his ar- rest and conviction for some pretended offense might intimidate the people of his section and weaken the friends of honest govern- ment and Constitutional rule. He was arrested three times and at last convicted on a sham trial and sentenced to imprisonment, from which he was subsequently discharged upon the urgent re- monstrance of influential men of both parties, and permitted to re- ' turn to his home.


When he was first taken to Harrisburg, at the time already mentioned, a fellow named Wessels was playing Judge Advocate before the Military Commission and industriously engaged in "making up a case" against Columbia county prisoners. He con- ceived the idea of using Mr. Rutan for his purpose, and the latter was approached with suggestions that he "should tell all he knew", (meaning something he did not know) "and be saved from all further trouble." "He should be free at once and go harmless if he would make a clean breast of it, etc., etc." These urgent invi- tations to turn informer were received by Rutan with prudence ; he restrained his indignation, and Wessels supposed he had pro- duced the desired impression upon him and could coerce him into


410


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


performing the wicked work proposed. He therefore paroled him to go home, upon condition that he should write out "all he knew about a meeting near Benton" at which a man named Headley or Hadley spoke, and transmit the narrative to Harrisburg. This Mr. Rutan could very honorably and safely promise to do, for the meeting in question was perfectly innocent and harmless (as was shown upon subsequent investigation,) and a truthful statement concerning it could do no possible harm. It had been held more tliau a year and a half before and had no connection whatever with the Military Incursion or with the events which immediately preceded it.


Mr. Rutan returned home, but as he knew perfectly well that what Wessels wanted was not the truth, but falsehood concerning the Hadley meeting, and to fix and usc him as a witness upon the Columbia county trials, and that the transmission of his true statement would probably result in his being again arrested, he hesitated a short time in performing his promise. During this hesitation he was approached by a self styled government runner, who for a valuable consideration, agreed that he "would clear him of all, and there would be no more arrests made on him, and there would be no more soldiers troubling his family by coming after him." This contract for peace and quiet was executed in part, when Mr. Rutan was arrested for the third time by soldiers, in the night time, and hurried off to Harrisburg. It seems that Wessels had become impatient, as he was in pressing need of testimony, and had ordered Mr. Rutan to be seized and sent to him that he might be subjected to direct and thorough manipulation. And he was put under strong pressure to extort from him confessions or statements which could be used upon the trials of the other pris- oners, and justify their seizure and imprisonment. It was thought that his age, standing, and clerical character would give impor- tance and influence to whatever testimony, true or false, could be obtained from him. Mr. Rutan in mild language informs us, that he "was interrogated upon the disloyalty of different men of whom he knew nothing wrong," until the experiment was abandoned as hopeless. He was given up as incorrigible. The pumping and threatening process being in his case a complete failure, because he knew of nothing wrong and would not falsify, nothing was left to the military power but to punish him for his contumacy. He


411


HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.


was thrust into prison among deserters and bounty-jumpers, and kept there nntil about the last of November when, as he expresses it, "lie had some kind of a trial,"-that is, he had a summary, im- perfect, unfair and hostile hearing before a Military Commission, and was subjected to an unjust, unlawful, cruel and infamous sentence. He had offended the Judge Advocate and other mana- gers of persecution very deeply ; had disappointed their hopes ; had refused to become a false witness and rogne at their bidding. As he would not become their instrument, he was made their vic- tim, and was taught that vengeance will not linger when lawless power is offended by the scruples or integrity of the citizen.


The hopes entertained of making him a witness and the disap- pointment felt at his delay in making report, are indicated by the following extract from one of the radical sensation newspapers of that time-the Philadelphia Inquirer. It said, speaking of the Columbia county prisoners :--




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