A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I, Part 39

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909-1930
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 734

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I > Part 39

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(V) PEREGRINE GARDNER was md. in April, 1731. to Susanna Robinson (b. in 1711), and they had eight children. Some of them were (1) Stephen, b. August 1, 1734; (2) Mary, b. March 14, 1736; (3) John, b. May 9, 1737 ; (4) Peregrine, b. March 12, 1739.

(3) John Gardner was md. to Elizabeth Mumford (b. February 29, 1743), and they had five children, two of whom were : (a) Richard, b. February 8, 1767 ; (b) John, b. January 9, 1773, and d. March 30, 1836, in Ransoni Township, Inzerne (now Lackawanna) County, Pennsylvania. (3) John Gardner was captured in Exeter Township by the Indians in July, 1778 (see Chapter XV, post), and, being carried away from Wyoming, died in captivity. His widow died at Ransom, mentioned above, August 24, 1834. (4) Peregrine Gardner was a Sergeant in Capt. Simon Spalding's Wyoming company in the Continental service, 1777-'81. (See "Collections of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII : 110.)

(a) Richard Gardner was twice md., his first wife being Lydia -- (b. 1767; d. May 23, 1828.) He located in Ransom Township, where he established and maintained for many years Gardner's Ferry. He had eleven children, several of whom lived to a great age. (a) Richard Gardner died at Ransom Jnly 4, 1859. For an interesting account of him see Peck's "Wyoming," page 351.

* See the names of the grantees in the "Indian Deed" printed in this Chapter.

+ WILLIAM PARSONS, who had been a shoemaker in early life, resided in Philadelphia between the years 1734 and 1746, for a portion of which period he was Librarian of the City Library. In 1743 he was appointed Surveyor General of the Province, which office he held until June, 1748, when, on account of ill health, he resigned. In 1749 he was a Justice of the Peace in Lancaster County.

The present city of Easton made its first appearance in 1750. Previous to that Thomas Penn, one of the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, had written to Dr. Græme and Secretary Richard Peters at Philadel- phia to lay out the ground at the "Forks of the Delaware," in Bucks (now Northampton) County, for a town, and he desired "the new town to be called Easton, from my Lord Pomfret's home"-Penn having married Lord Pomfret's daughter. The site for the proposed town, which was owned by Thomas Penn, was covered with trees and bushes. The town-plot of about 100 acres was surveyed by Nicholas Scull, assisted by William Parsons, and occupied ten days from May 9, 1750. Thenceforth, until his death in December, 1757, William Parsons resided at Easton1.

I11 1753 he held the rank of Captain in the militia of the Province, and in December, 1755, he was promoted Major and appointed to command all the troops to be raised in Northampton Connty for the defense of the frontier during the Indian hostilities. His immediate command, however, was a "Town Guard" of twenty-four men stationed in Easton. In October, 1753, Captain Parsons was elected a mem- ber of Assembly from Northampton County. He also held, at different times, the offices of Prothono- tary, Clerk of the Courts, Recorder of Deeds and Justice of the Peace in and for Northampton County. This County was erected out of Bucks County March 11, 1752, and took in nearly the whole of north-

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matters that had occurred in the northi-eastern part of the Province dur- ing the Autumn of 1753, wrote, among other things, the following" :

"Having heard that some persons under pretense of an authority from the Govern- ment of Connecticut had passed by Daniel Brodhead'st in their way to Wyomink upon Susquehanna River, in order to view the land in those parts, I went up to Mr. Brodhead's to speak with him. * * Mr. Brodhead told me that some of his near neighbors had accompanied three gentlemen-like men to Wyomink, who produced a writing under a large seal, which they said was the public seal of the Governor of Con- necticut, empowering them to treat," etc.

Captain Parsons stated further, that, inasmuch as the men from Connecticut "gave out that those lands were included within the bound- aries of the royal Charter to that Colony," lie (Parsons) thought he would be wanting in his duty if he did not give the Governor this infor- mation. A few days later Daniel Brodliead, Sr., wrote the Governor on the same subject, and stated that he "was at a loss how to act," lest he should "do the thing not just," and asked for advice in the matter.

The "Journeying Committee" remained at Wyoming a number of days, making rough drafts of the country in general and gathering con- siderable data upon which to base a report to the Susquehanna Company. Soon after their arrival in the valley they learned from the Indians here that the Six Nations claimed and exercised ownership and jurisdiction of this region. Therefore the committee mnade no attempt to dicker with the local Indians for the land they desired to secure.

On their homeward journey the committee having entered the Province of New York, and crossed Hudson River at or near Fishkill, proceeded northiward through the present Dutchess County to "Little Nine Partners," lying at the upper end of the County and traversed by the "Great Road" running from the Hudson to and through New Eng- land. On the 14th of November the committee were at "Great Nine Partners" (near the center of Dutchess County), and five days later they had reached Canaan, in the north-western corner of Connecticut. At both these places they disposed of shares, or "rights," in the Susque- hanna Company, as is evidenced by original, authentic records now in existence. The following is a copy of one of the receipts given at that time by this committee to subscribers for shares-the original receipt having been duly recorded between 1771 and 1774 by the Town Clerk of Wilkes-Barré on page 1,157 of "The Town Book of Wilkes Barre," described on page 27, antet :

"Canaan, November 19, 1753-then received of JOSEPH DEAN, JR., of Canaan, in ye county of Litchfield, ye sum of two Spanish milled dollars in ye Susquehanna Affair. Received by us ye subscribers, a Committee appointed for that Business.

[Signed]

"STEPHEN GARDNER, )

"JOHN SMITH, Committee." "EZEKIEL PEIRCE,

The visit of the Connecticut men to Wyoming was not only dis- quieting to certain Pennsylvanians in Northampton County, Philadel- phia and other quarters who heard of it, but also caused considerable dissatisfaction among the Indians dwelling along the Susquehanna.

eastern Pennsylvania as it then existed. The County had at its beginning nine organized townships. with a population of 4,500, in addition to several hundred inhabitants in the "Forks of the Delaware," not included in any township, and 800 in the upper parts of what is now Lehigh County. In Smithfield Town- ship were some 300 Hollanders, descendants of the early Dutch settlers at the Minisink. Smithfield was the only township north of the Blue Mountains.

* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records, " V : 736.

+ Dansbury, now East Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. For a sketch of Daniel Brodhead, see note, page 258.

Į See Book "B," page 244, of the records of the Susquehanna Company mentioned on page 28, ante. for the recorded copy of a receipt given by the same committee to "William Buck of Great Nine Part- ners," under date of November 14, 1753.

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Under date of December 5, 1753, at Easton, Captain Parsons wrote to the Rev. Richard Peters at Philadelphia, Secretary of the Province, as follows* :

"I do not know what to think of the New England men ; but from their own ac- count there is reason to expect them again in the Spring. And if they should come we have but too many malcontents amongst us who would cheerfully embrace so favorable an opportunity. You too well know the disposition of the people in general towards the Honorable the Proprietaries. * * * I am informed that some persons over the moun- tainst have really entered into an agreement with the New England men for part of the lands at Wyomink. If I were to advise, I should think it would not be amiss for you to write to every one of the Justices-especially those over the mountains-to apprehend them if they should come again in the Spring, as they say they will with many more, in order to settle there. But perhaps it will be the best way for the Governor to issue a proclamation, or for the Chief Justice to issue a Provincial writ for taking them up as Disturbers of the publick Peace."

About the time Captain Parsons wrote this letter to Secretary Peters William Craig, Sheriff of Northampton County, came thence to Wyoming and spent several days here ?- presumably to learn what he could concerning the doings and sayings of the recent visitors from Connecticut. Some time later Conrad Weiser wrote§ Governor Hamil- ton that "in the Fall of 1753 the Indians on Sasquehanna saw some of the New England men that came as spies to Wayomock ; and they saw them making drafts of the land and rivers, and are much offended about it." Weiser stated, further, that the Indians asked him about these inen, and he told them (the Indians) that "we had heard so much as that, and we had intelligence from New England that they came against the advice of their superiors, as a parcel of head-strong men and dis- turbers of the peace. The Indians said they were glad to hear that neither their Brother Onas nor their [the New Englanders'] own chief inen had sent them." Secretary Peters, writing to the solicitor of the Proprietaries relative to this affair, said||: "Mr. Hamilton and several others were alarıned at this wicked attempt, and Conrad Weiser, the Indian Interpreter, was ordered to give the Six Nation Indians an ac- count of this intelligence and to put them upon their guard."

The members of the "Journeying Committee" having reached their respective homes and reported the results of their inission to Wyoming to the Executive Committee of the Susquehanna Company, a meeting of the Company was called for the 9th of January, 1754. Upon that day there was a large attendance of old members, and the names of enough new members were enrolled to make the total membership of the Company upwards of 400. Stephen Gardner, John Smith, Ezekiel Peirce, Capt. Robert Dixson and Jedidiah Elderkin, Esq., were appointed a committee "to enquire and judge what persons ought to be admitted into the said Company, with all the privileges already accrued," etc .; and it was voted that those thereafter admitted should pay four dollars per share, or two dollars for a half-share.

It was also voted that "Mr. Timothy WoodbridgeT of Stockbridge

* See original letter in the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

+ The Kittatinny, or Blue, Mountains, described on page 45.

# See "Collections of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VIII : 90.

{ See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," VI : 35.

See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," X : 177.

" TIMOTHY WOODBRIDGE was born in 1709 at West Springfield, Massachusetts. He was the son of the Rev. John Woodbridge, Jr. (b. 1678 ; d. June 10, 1718), a native of Killingworth, Connecticut ; gradu- ated at Harvard College in 1694, and constituted the first pastor of the Church at West Springfield in 1698. His wife (the mother of Timothy) was Jemima Eliot, granddaughter of the Rev. John Eliot, "the Apostle to the Indians," referred to on page 80.

In the Autumn of 1735 Timothy Woodbridge became a teacher in the Indian mission-school at Great Barrington (mentioned in the note on page 193); and when the establishment was removed to Stock-

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[Massachusetts] be incorporated into this Company and entitled to one whole share in the purchase of this land as a free donation from this Company"; and that he be "an agent of the Company to order, act and transact the whole affair of said purchase with the chiefs of the Indians that are the native proprietors of the land proposed by said Company to be purchased." It was also resolved that "if 'Deacon' Woodbridge desires Captain Stevens* to go with him to the sachems in order to help and assist hin, he shall go"; and it was ordered that Maj. Eliphalet Dyer and some other member of the Company, to be selected by the Execu- tive Committee, should be commissioned to repair to Stockbridge and make satisfactory arrangements with "Deacon" Woodbridge for the transacting of the business. The Executive Committee named Jedidiah Elderkin, Esq., of Windham, as the second member of this commission.

Messrs. Dver and Elderkin were "desired by the Executive Com- mittee to wait on the Hon. Roger Wolcott, then Governor of the Colony, and ask his opinion (in the name of the Susquehanna Company) rela- tive to their proceeding. They waited on the Governor and informed him of the designs of the Company ; and in answer Governor Wolcott wrote and signed a certain writing."+ Colonel Elderkin made a copy

bridge he accompanied it thither, where he remained as a teacher for many years-being succeeded by the Rev. John Sergeant, Jr., mentioned on page 195. David D. Field, in his "History of Stockbridge," states that in Woodbridge's school "the body of the Indian children were instructed, and probably obtained as good an education as English children at that period generally did in the common schools of New England." In 1751 the mission contained 218 Indians, of whom 182 had been baptized and 42 were communicants.

In February, 1752, Gideon Hawley-later, for many years, a missionary among the Indians-became a co-worker of Woodbridge in the Stockbridge school ; and, in an autobiographical letter written in 1794 and published in the "Documentary History of New York" ( HI : 627), states that he "was instructor of a few families of Iroquois who came down from their country for the sake of the Christian knowledge and the schooling of their children. These families consisted of Mohawks, Oneidas and Tuscaroras from Canajoharie and Oghwaga, [New York]. I [Hawley] was their schoolmaster, and preached to thein on Lord's-day. [The Rev.] Mr. Edwards visited the school, catechised the scholars and frequently preached to the parents. Many Indians who wintered at Stockbridge, in the Spring and Summer went off and were about Schoharie, beyond Albany."

In May, 1753, Mr. Hawley went from Stockbridge to Oghwaga, previously mentioned, for the purpose of engaging in missionary labors among the Indians-chiefly Oneidas-in that locality, which was "about 100 miles beyond any settlement of Christian people." "It was agreed," wrote Hawley in 1794, "that 'Deacon' Woodbridge, being a man long acquainted with the business and a gentleman of abilities, should accompany me into their country and introduce me to the Indians, with whose manners and language I had gained some acquaintance." Messrs. Hawley and Woodbridge set out on their journey on May 23d, accompanied by Benjamin Ashley, an English "Separatist," and his wife Rebecca (Kellogg Ashley, "an extraordinary interpreter in the Iroquois language." (An interesting account of their journey is given in Halsey's "Old New York Frontier, " page 58, et seq. ) On May 30th the travelers arrived at Towanoenda- lough, on the Susquehanna River, not many miles from its source. (See map on page 33, and map of Pennsylvania and part of New York in Chapter V.) Here there were three wigwams and thirty Indians. "We were impatient," wrote Hawley, "to see the famous Susquehanna, and as soon as we came Wood- bridge and I walked down to the banks. Disappointed at the sinallness of the stream Woodbridge ex- claimed, 'Is this the Susquehanna?' " By means of canoes the travelers reached their destination three days later.

Oghwaga, or Oquago, now Windsor, near the north-eastern angle of the "Great Bend" of the Susque- hanna, fourteen miles from Binghamton, Broome County, New York, is distinguished as having been the ancient dwelling-place of Indians for a long series of years. It appears to have been a half-way resting- place for the Six Nations as they passed southward to Wyoming or its neighborhood ; or for the Indians at Wyoming as they passed northward. Their path over Oquago Mountain, and also over the mountain nearer Binghamton, was worn very deep, and was plainly visible many years after the Indians had left that country.

Spending only a few days at Oghwaga Woodbridge turned his steps homeward, bearing a belt of wampum and a message to Sir William Johnson from the Indians at Oghwaga, to the effect that they desired to have no more rum brought to their town by traders.

For some years after Timothy Woodbridge had quit teaching he was agent and superintendent of Hidian affairs at Stockbridge. He was the first Deacon in the Church at Stockbridge, and was also the first magistrate in the town. He was a Justice of the Peace in and for Berkshire County until 1768 at least. From 1761 until his death he was a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Berkshire County. Not long before his death he was appointed a member of the Governor's Council, by mandamus from the King, but did not accept the appointment. "He was, " wrote David D. Field many years ago, "a man of superior abilities and acquisitions." Gideon Hawley wrote of him in 1794: "He rose to be the first man in the county of Berkshire ; was always esteemed for his sense, * * and sustained his station with reputation."

"Deacon" Woodbridge died May 11, 1774. His wife was Abigail Day. of West Springfield, and their eighth child and youngest son was Enoch Woodbridge, who was born at Stockbridge December 25, 1750. He was graduated at Yale College in1 1774. At the siege of Boston. 1775-'76, he was Adjutant of Colonel Preston's regiment. He was also in service later during the Revolutionary War. In 1780 he settled in Vermont as a lawyer. He was the first Mayor of Vergennes, Vermont, and was a Judge of the Supreme Court of that State, 1794-1800, being Chief Justice during the last three years of the period. He died at Vergennes April 25, 1805.

* URIAH STEVENS, of Litchfield County, an early and a very active promoter of the Company.

+ The foregoing quotation is from an original memorandum in the handwriting of Jedidiah Elderkin, found by the present writer among the "Pickering Papers," referred to on page 29. ante.

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of this "writing," which he retained, delivering the original document into the hands of "Deacon" Woodbridge. Colonel Elderkin's copy is now among the "Pickering Papers" (see note }, page 257), and is herewith printed-for the first time, so far as the present writer can learn .*

"WINDSOR, JANUARY, 1754.

"Being well informed that a number of His Majesty's liege subjects in the Colony of Connecticut have confederated together to purchase of the Indians a tract of waste land near Susquehannah River, and to remove there with their families to settle a new Planta- tion, and they have desired to know my opinion of their design-

"I am of opinion that ye settling a new Plantation or Plantations at ye place designed will be much for His Majesty's service, as it will enlarge the English possessions of the country and advance our frontiers into it ; and being settled with good and orderly people, will much strengthen and encourage ye English in North America against ye encroachments of ye French, who are continually erecting their forts nearer and nearer to us, and thereby driving ye Indians from His Majesty's alliance. And that it will be a benefit to ye Six Nations of Indians who have been always in strict alliance with ye English, as it will better secure them from the incroachments of ye French and strengthen them in time of Warr against ye force of the enemy. I therefore wish them good success in their undertaking, and that they may never want encouragement from the Throne." [Signed] "R: WOLCOTT."

Under date of February 21, 1754, Daniel Brodhead, Sr., f who was then a Justice of the Peace in and for Northampton County, wrote as followst to the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania :

"There is great disquietude amongst the people of these parts, occasioned by some New England gentlemen, to such a degree that a majority of them are going to quit and sell their land for trifles ; and many of them have advanced money in order that they might secure 'rights' from the New England Proprietaries-which 'rights' I suppose are intended to be on Sasquehannah, at a place called Wyomink."

The matter appeared to the Council to be of importance, and they recommended that the Governor of Pennsylvania should write to both the Governor and the Deputy Governor of Connecticut, praying for the interposition of that Government "to prevent the departure of their people on such a dangerous enterprise" ; otherwise the Colonies "should have the additional affliction of seeing a civil war commence in the bowels of two of their inost prosperous Provinces." Therefore, under date of March 4, 1754, Governor Hamilton wrote to Governor Wolcott

* An incomplete copy of this document was printed in The Luzerne Federalist (Wilkes-Barré) of May 25, 1801, in an article written by Col. John Franklin over the pseudonym "Plain Truth." See page 30, ante.

+ DANIEL BRODHEAD, SR., was born at Marbletown, Ulster County, New York, in 1693. He was a grandson of Daniel Brodhead (a Captain of grenadiers in the army of Charles II), who came to this country in 1664 in the expedition, commanded by Col. Richard Nicolls, "to capture New Amsterdam and make New Netherland once for all an English province." (See page 245.) About 1735 Daniel Brodhead, first abovementioned, emigrated from New York with his family and settled near the junction of Analomink (now Brodhead's) and McMichael's Creeks, in what later became Northampton, and is now Monroe, County, Pennsylvania. He called his settlement "Dansbury," after his own name, but later it became known as "Brodhead's Manor," and now, upon a portion of it, stands the village of East Stroudsburg. He became acquainted with the Moravian Brethren soon after they settled in the "Forks of the Dela- ware," and at his house they often lodged as they traveled to and from their missions in New York and Connecticut ; and at Dansbury they preached between 1743 and 1749. Bishop Cammerhoff, previously mentioned, referred to Daniel Brodhead in 1747 as "an Indian trader," and stated that he was a regular attendant at the Brethren's synods. He died in July, 1755, at Bethlehem, while there for surgical treat- inent. He was survived by five sons-Charles, Garrett, Daniel, John and Luke.

Daniel Brodhead, Jr., was born about 1725, probably at Albany, New York, and came to Pennsylvania with the other members of his father's family. "The younger Daniel grew up among the rude experi- ences of a frontier settlement, and, probably, had his first experience of actual war when the Indians, after ravaging all the country between the rivers Lehigh and Delaware, north of the Blue Mountains, attacked the Brodhead house at Dansbury, which had been hastily fortified, on the 11th of December, 1755."

In 1771 Daniel Brodhead, Jr., settled at Reading, Pennsylvania, having removed some time previously from Lower Smithfield Township (within the limits of which "Brodhead's Manor" lay). Shortly after- wards he was appointed Deputy Surveyor under John Lukens, who was then Surveyor General of Penn- sylvania. In July, 1775, he was appointed a delegate from Berks County to the Provincial Convention at Philadelphia. During the Revolutionary War he was Lieutenant Colonel of the Pennsylvania Rifle Reg- iment from March to October, 1776; Lieutenant Colonel of the Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment in the Continental Line from October, 1776, to March, 1777 ; Colonel of the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, Con- tinental Line, March, 1777, to January, 1781, and then Colonel of the First Pennsylvania. At a later date he was, it seems, promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. (See "Pennsylvania in the Revolution, " ! : 616.) After the war he served in the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, and in 1789 was appointed Sur- veyor General of the State. This office he held eleven years. He was twice married, his first wife being Elizabeth De Pui of Northampton County, who bore him one son (Daniel) and one daughter. His second wife was the widow of Gen. Thomas Mifflin, by whom he had no children.

Gen. Daniel Brodhead died at Milford, Pike County, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1809.

Į See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," V: 757.

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informing him that a party of Connecticut people had passed into Penn- sylvania some time previously on their way to Wyoming. Continuing, the Governor stated* :

"They gave out that they had made a purchase of these lands from the Mohawk Indians, and they had your authority to come and settle them-being within the bound- aries of the Connecticut Charter-and offered their titles to any who were disposed to purchase ; and this, though I have disregarded it as an idle story, is now confirmed by persons of character who have been in Connecticut, and assure me that a large number of your inhabitants *

* were actually preparing to remove in the Spring and settle some of the Pennsylvania lands on Sasquehannalı. * * If they make the attempt they will involve this Province in an endless scene of trouble and confusion, and as they must expect opposition, it may prove prejudicial to the cause of the Colonies. If, as it is very probable, we shall be engaged in a war to repel the French (who have actually invaded this Province, and are now erecting forts and driving away our traders within its limits), and a number of strangers should come amongst us and forcibly take possession of our lands, what can His Majesty or the other Colonies think but that they are enemies to their country, and design to hinder this Government from exerting its force against the common enemy, by raising a civil war within its bowels.

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A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I, Part 39

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray Publication date: 1909-1930 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press Number of Pages: 734

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909-1930
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 734