A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 106

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press]
Number of Pages: 683

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. II > Part 106

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

This letter was addressed to Maj. Gen. John Sullivan,; but was : sent by Washington to Major General Gates, who duly received it and

* See the "historical address" (page 840) by the Rev. David Craft in "Journals of the Military Expedition of Maj. Gen. John Sullivan."

t See "Public Papers of George Clinton," IV : 615.

+ JOHN SULLIVAN, (JR.), was born February 17, 1740, in Somersworth, New Hampshire, the third son of John Sullivan (born in 1692; died in 1796), a native of Limerick, Ireland, who had immi- grated to America in 1728. The wife of the latter was a native of Cork, Ireland, who, also, had come to America in 1783. John Sullivan, Sr., who was a farmer by occupation, was a man of intellectual capacity and education. One of his sons was James Sullivan, for some years Attorney General, and afterwards Governor, of Massachusetts- dying while holding the latter office. Without the advantage of what is commonly termed a liberal education, John Sullivan, Jr., studied law with Samuel Liver- more (later a Delegate in Congress from New Hampshire, and then a Justice of the Superior Court of that State), and upon his admission to the Bar established himself in his profession at Durham, New Hampshire. He was self-possessed, and gifted with a strong power of reasoning and a copious and easy elocution, aided by a clear and musical voice. His practise soon became extensive and suc- cessful. In 1772 he received a commission as Major in the militia of New Hampshire.

As noted on page 854, Vol. I, the First Continental Congress assembled at Philadelphia Septem- ber 5, 1774. Major Sullivan was present as one of the two Delegates from New Hampshire, and, serving as a member of the Committee on Violation of Rights, he reported a set of articles which, as John Adams wrote in his diary, "were two years afterwards recapitulated in the Declaration of Inde- pendence, on July 4, 1776." The first direct Colonial assault on royal authority was the capture, by a band of New Hampshire men, led by Maj. John Sullivan and Capt. John Langdon, of the royal Fort William and Mary at Newcastle, New Hampshire, in December, 1774. The capture was made in broad daylight, the garrison of five men and an officer being seized and locked up, while the captors-after giving three cheers in honor of their success, and, for the first time in American history, hauling down the royal flag-carried off 100 barrels of powder, some light guns and small arms. Under Sul- livan's direction these munitions of war were carried in boats up the river to Durham, where they were stored in the cellar of the Congregational Meeting-house. (In September, 1894, on the site of this old building, a monument to General Sullivan was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies.)

In January, 1775, Major Sullivan and Captain Langdon, previously mentioned, were elected Rep- resentatives from New Hampshire to the Second Continental Congress, and on the 10th of the follow- ing May Sullivan took his seat in the Congress, at Philadelphia. June 28, 1775, the Congress chose eight Brigadier Generals for the new Continental army, and John Sullivan was one of the number. He immediately accepted the appointment, resigned his seat in the Congress, received his commission, proceeded to the camp at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was assigned by Washington to the com- mand of one of the brigades composing the left wing of the army, and stationed at Winter Hill. Later in the year, to replace the Connecticut troops in Washington's army, General Sullivan went to New Hampshire, raised 8,000 men in ten days, and marched them to the vicinity of Boston. No important military operations took place during the Winter of 1775-'76, and in March, 1776, the British evac- uated Boston. In the latter part of May General Sullivan was ordered to proceed with a body of troops to Canada to reinforce the Continental troops there-he to assume command of the entire

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force. Gen. Horatio Gates succeeded Sullivan in command of this northern army early in July, 1776, at Crown Point, and shortly afterwards Sullivan set out for Philadelphia. When, early in August, 1776, the Continental army was reorganized, John Sullivan was appointed by Congress, and duly commissioned, "Major General of the army of the United States," and was ordered to join Washington in the city of New York. At that time the British forces assembled on Staten Island consisted of 24,000 men, and it was obviously their purpose to gain possession of the city of New York. The principal part of the American army-which was far inferior to that of the enemy in numbers and efficiency-was stationed on the lower end of the island of Manhattan, while a small part of the army, under the command of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Greene, occupied extensive works at Brooklyn, on Long Island. About the middle of August Greene was compelled, by illness, to relinquish his command, and Sullivan was appointed to succeed him. The battle of Long Island was fought August 27, 1776 (see page 485, Vol. I), and General Sullivan was among the large num- ber of prisoners captured by the enemy. The following is an extract from a letter written by a Brit- ish officer shortly after this battle. (See "American Archives," Fifth Series, I : 1259.) "The Hessians and our brave Highlanders gave no quarter; and it was a fine sight to see with what alacrity they despatched the rebels with their bayonets after we had surrounded them. To that they could not resist. Our loss was nothing. We took care to tell the Hessians that the rebels had resolved to give no quarter to them, in particular; which made them fight desperately, and put all to death that fell into their hands. The Island is all ours, and we shall soon take New York. I expect the affair will be over this campaign, and we shall all return covered with American laurels, and have the cream of American lands allotted us for our services." On August 30th General Sullivan was paroled, and

MAJ. GEN. JOHN SULLIVAN.

reached New York City the same day. Later he was exchanged for General Prescott (a prisoner in the hands of the Americans), and soon afterwards rejoined the army-being placed in command of one of its five divisions the next Spring.

With his command General Sullivan was active and efficient throughout the campaign in New Jersey in the Summer of 1777. In June of that year the Chief Justice of Quebec wrote to him: "You were the first man in active rebellion, and drew with you the Province you live in. You will be one of the first sacrifices to the resentment and justice of the [British]_Government. Your family will be ruined, and you must die with ignominy!" At the battle of the Brandywine Sullivan's activity and skill were everywhere visible, and at the battle of Germantown he led two divisions of troops. He passed the wretched Winter of 1777-'78 at Valley Forge, but in March, 1778, he received orders from Washington to take command of the American forces in Rhode Island. These forces consisted of 10,000 men, in two divisions-one commanded by General Greene and the other by General the Mar- quis de Lafayette. While there Sullivan fought what Lafayette declared to be the most hotly contested battle of the war-the British losing probably 1,000 men. Sullivan drew off without loss of troops or equipments, and his action met with the approval of his superior officers and of Congress. General Sullivan remained in command at Rhode Island during the Winter of 1778-'79 and the following Spring, until appointed to organize and command the expedition against the Six Nation Indians. He was at that time just thirty-nine years of age.

Shortly after his return from that expedition General Sullivan addressed a communication to Congress, in which he expressed a desire to retire from the military service-on the ground that his

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transmitted it to General Sullivan-sending to Washington at the same time a communication reading in part as follows :

"Last night I had the honor of your Excellency's letter. The man who under- takes the Indian service should enjoy youth and strength-requisites I do not possess. It therefore grieves me that your Excellency should offer me the only command to which I am entirely unequal. In obedience to your command I have forwarded your letter to General Sullivan.'

In a letter to the President of Congress dated April 14, 1779, Washington wrote :

"The plan of operations for the campaign being determined, a commanding officer was to be appointed for the Indian expedition. This command, according to all present appearances, will probably be of the second, if not the first, importance of the campaign. The officer conducting it has a flattering prospect of acquiring more credit than can be expected by any other this year; and he has the best reason to hope for success. General Lee, from his situation, was out of the question ; General Schuyler (who, by the way, would have been most agreeable to me) was so uncertain of continuing in the army that I could not appoint him ; General Putnam I need not mention. I therefore made the offer of it-for the appointment could no longer be delayed-to General Gates, who was next in seniority. * * My letter to him on the occasion, I believe you will think, was conceived in very candid and polite terms, and it merited a different answer from the one given to it."

By Washington, as well as by others, the reply made by Gates to the Commander-in-Chief was deemed as little less than insolent. Sulli- van, however, accepted the command and went to work with his usual energy ; though, perhaps, he was quite conscious that the task he had undertaken was more useful than glorious.

At Wilkes-Barre, under the date of March 31, 1779, Col. Zebulon Butler wrote to Brig. General Hand, at Minisink, forwarding the letter to him by the hand of Lieut. John Jenkins, Jr. The original letter, now in the possession of George H. Butler, Esq., of Dorranceton, Wyo- ming Valley, reads in part as follows :

"Dear Genr !- Yours of the 25th instant came to hand last evening. In answer thereto Mr. Jinkings will wait on you, and as I conclude you have my account of the late action at this place I shall omit saying anything about it; and if you have not, Mr. Jinkins will be abel to give you the particulars of that affair.

"With reference to the Indian Job Jilliway *- I was well acquainted [with him]. The last I heard of him he went with General McIntosh to the Ohio, and is since dead of the small-pox.

health was much impaired by the fatigues and privations which he had undergone. This letter was read in Congress November 1, 1779, and the resignation was finally accepted-a resolution, returning Sullivan the thanks of Congress, being passed at the same time.

In the Autumn of 1780 General Sullivan was again elected a Delegate from New Hampshire to the Continental Congress. He took his seat therein, and served until the Summer of 1781, when he returned to his home at Durham and took up his professional pursuits. Then, for some time, he was Attorney General of New Hampshire, an office which was subsequently held for several years by his son. He also took part in the labors of the convention which formed the Constitution of New Hamp- shire in 1788, and later became a member of the first "Council" chosen under it. In 1786 he was elected President of the State of New Hampshire, and by re-election held the office three successive years. In November, 1790, he received from President Washington a commission as Judge of the United States Court for the District of New Hampshire. He entered upon the duties of this office 'forthwith, and discharged them up to the time of his death. Shortly after his elevation to the Bench the degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by Dartmouth College.

General Sullivan was a Free Mason, having become a member of the Fraternity about the begin- ning of the War of the Revolution. In 1789 an independent Grand Lodge of the Fraternity was formed in New Hampshire, and General Sullivan was elected its first Grand Master. At that time be was Master of the Lodge at Portsmouth. In October, 1790, at a meeting of the Grand Lodge a com- munication from General Sullivan was read, in which he stated that, owing to the alarming state of his health, he would no longer be able to serve as Grand Master.

General Sullivan was about five feet eight inches in height, erect in person, with broad shoulders and full chest, inclining somewhat to corpulency. In his movements he was quick and elastic. His eyes were dark and piercing; his hair black and somewhat curly. His manners were dignified, but easy and graceful. Dr. James Thacher, in his "Military Journal" (published in 1824), says of him: "It is remarked on the Sullivan Expedition by the translator of M. de Chastelleux's 'Travels'-an Englishman then resident in the United States-that the instructions given by General Sullivan to his officers, the order of march he prescribed to his troops, and the discipline he had the ability to main- tain, would have done honor to the most experienced ancient or modern Generals. His military tal- ents and bold spirit of enterprise were universally acknowledged. He was fond of display, and his personal appearance and dignified deportment commanded_respect."

General Sullivan died at his home in Durham, New Hampshire, January 28, 1795.

* "JOB CHILLAWAY," mentioned on pages 364, 422, 456, 720 and 788. He removed from the neighborhood of Wyalusing to the West Branch of the Susquehanna in 1775 or '76. In the Autumn of 1778 he warned the inhabitants of the West Branch that they might shortly expect to be attacked

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"As to the road to the Minnisink. The 'Upper Road' is from this Garrison to Lacka- wanna, by the Susquehannah, 9 miles to a large flatt, deserted by our people; 10 miles to Capows Large Meadows and several stacks of grain-except it is burnt very lately; 23 miles to Lackaway, to a settlement deserted, but I believe forage plenty; 14 miles to Sho- hola, a settlement, large meadows and, I believe, hay plenty; 14 miles to Wells' Ferry, opposite Captain Chambers on Delaware. The 'Lower Road' is 8 miles to Bullock's- house deserted by the owner, small meadows, no forage; 27 miles to Larnard's-some improvements, but much eat out by travellers; 8 miles to Colonel Stroud's; 37 miles to Wells' Ferry, on the west side Delaware. Inhabitants the most of the way. The 'Upper Road' has been much used with carts and waggons, and the lower road has not been used with carriages at all. * * *

"If the horse the express rides out could be sent back, should be glad, as we are much stripped of horses. The Indians took away nine lately and killed my riding-horse and one other, the best we had; and if you have others wants recruiting we can take good care of them here if the Indians don't catch them." * * *

Upon the arrival of Lieutenant Jenkins with the foregoing letter at the headquarters of General Hand, the latter directed him to repair immediately to Washington's headquarters. Having reached there on April 6th he was interviewed at length by Washington relative to the Indian country on the headwaters of the Susquehanna.

At his headquarters at Middle Brook, under the date of April 1, 1779, General Washington wrote to Col. Zebulon Butler at Wilkes- Barré as follows* :

" I received your letter comprehending the transactions at your post from the 23d to the 28th, ultimo. Considering the importance of the place, I have ordered up the 'German Regiment,' and Armand's and Schott's corps, as a reinforcement. These may amount to * *. 'You will, therefore, take the necessary precautions for their bar- racks, and give proper notice to the Commissaries to increase or proportion their supply to your numbers. I need not recommend to you that watchfulness and exact discipline in your patrol and scouting parties (which can alone give security to the garrison, as well as prevent surprise on their own part), or to your giving that protection to the coun- try consistent with your orders and force.

"On examining the returns I was surprised to find on furlough thirteen men from Captain Spalding's company,t altho expressly raised for the defense of the frontier. You will be pleased to call in all who are on furlough as soon as possible."

At Philadelphia, under the date of April 2, 1779, Joseph Reed, President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, wrote to Col. Zebulon Butler at Wilkes-Barré. After referring to a letter recent- ly received by him from Colonel Butler, relative to a "late attack and depredations on the frontiers by Indians," he continued, in part, as follows# :

" I lately went to the camp to confer with the Commander-in-Chief relative to the frontier settlements, and I have the pleasure of assuring you that he is fully impressed with a like sense of your danger and merit ; and that the most eflectual measures are in train, not merely to protect and defend, but to make the savages, and the more savage Christians among them, feel the weight of the American arms. Before this reaches you I hope you will have received reinforcement from General Hand."

by a strong force of marauding Indians. From "Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania" we learn that "Job Chillaway" was "one of the strange characters who was a frequent visitor to Fort Antes [in Lyco- ming County, Pennsylvania, opposite Jersey Shore] in 1778 and '79. He had been converted by the Moravians, and remained steadfast in the faith. Having associated much with the whites he became very friendly, and by many good acts won their confidence and respect. He was much employed as a scout by the military authorities, and his fidelity was frequently proven by dangerous missions to gain information of the movements of the savages. He had a wide acquaintance among the Indians, as well as a thorough knowledge of the country, its mountains, streams and paths, and, therefore, was enabled to acquire information that proved of great value to the whites. At times he was suspected by the Indians of giving information, but through his artlessness and keenness of perception he always managed to disabuse their minds of suspicion, and escaped when others would have failed. In a word, he was a first-class Indian detective, whose sense of gratitude never allowed him to prove recreant to his trust, and those who had befriended him-which was something remarkable in the nature and character of an aborigine. Through life he proved himself a 'good Indian,' and when he died near Fort Erie, Canada, September 22, 1792, he received Christian burial at the hands of his Moravian friends."

* See the original letter in the possession of John L. Butler of Memphis, Tennessee.

t According to "Connecticut in the Revolution" (page 266) the following names (additional to thoseeprinted on page 981, ante) appear on the rolls of Captain Spalding's company dated March 15, 1779. Azariah Smith, Francis Stephens, Samuel Ensign, Constant Lorts, Robert Dorrance, Michael Foster, Douglass Davidson (see note, page 908, ante), Elisha Sill, Barzelt. Guarney, Thomas Tuckit, Jeremiah Baker.

# See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, VII : 888.

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Early in April, 1779, the garrison at Wilkes-Barré being greatly in need of commissary supplies, Colonel Butler sent Benjamin Harvey (see page 994) with an urgent communication on the subject to William Stewart, " Purchasing Commissary " of the Continental army, then at Coxtown, or Coxborough (now Selinsgrove, Snyder County, Pennsyl- vania), on the Susquehanna a few miles below Sunbury, where he was gathering supplies for the army.

At Minisink, under the date of April 5, 1779, Brig. General Hand wrote to Maj. Daniel Burchardt (in command of the "German Regi- ment"* of the Continental Line) as follows :

"Agreeable to the orders you yesterday received, you will proceed to Wyoming, on the Susquehanna River, with the regiment under your immediate command, Colonel Armand'st and Captain Schott'st corps. The former [Armand's] is commanded at pres- ent by Major Lomaign, and the latter by Captain Selin .¿ These corps will join you at or before you reach Colonel Stroud's, at Fort Penn, as you will see by their orders, left open for your perusal, and which you will have delivered. You must take with you from here all the flour now left in store, and beef sufficient to carry the detachment thro to Wyo- ming ; you will receive an additional supply of flour at Colonel Stroud's. Take care that each corps takes with them the provisions they have respectively drawn. You will receive a few camp kettles for the detachment at Colonel Stroud's, and may draw twenty axes for your regiment, six for Armand's and three for Schott's here.

" It will take you four days from Colonel Stroud's to Wyoming ; you will, there- fore, regulate your provision accordingly. Capt. Alexander Patterson, || A. D. Q. M., will send express to Col. Zebulon Butler, commanding at Wyoming, with notice of your approach. From Fort Penn you will march to Lardner's [or Larner's];[ thence to an incamping place in what is commonly called the Great Swamp; the third day to Bul- lock's, which is within five miles ** of Wyoming Garrison, where, for the present, you will put yourself under Colonel Butler's directions. I am thus particular, as it will be necessary to make easy marches in order to reconnoiter the country well and examine every thicket and hollow way, or swamp, before you enter it ; which I desire you may be very particular in doing, to prevent being surprised or led into an ambuscade or attacked without previous knowledge of the enemy's being near. You will be particu- larly attentive to keep the body of the troops compact. Suffer no straggling on any account ; keep a proper advance and rear guard, tho not at too great a distance, and also small parties on your flanks, observing the same caution. Should any enemy appear,

* The GERMAN REGIMENT of the Continental Line originated from a resolution of Congress, passed June 27, 1776, directing four companies (subsequently increased to five) of Germans to be raised in Pennsylvania and four in Maryland, to compose "the German Battalion;" the companies to serve for three years, unless sooner discharged. Pennsylvania furnished by far the largest number both of the commissioned officers and of the rank and file composing this regiment. Nicholas Haussegger, Major of the 4th (Col. Anthony Wayne's) Battalion, was commissioned Colonel; George Stricker, Lieutenant Colonel; and Ludwig Weltner, of Maryland, Major. The regiment was in the field almost from its very beginning, and was engaged at the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In May, 1777, it was in Deborre's Brigade, Sullivan's Division. After the battle of Monmouth Colonel Haussegger retired from the service and returned to his home near Lebanon, Pennsylvania-Lieut. Colonel Weltner suc- ceeding to the command of the regiment, but without increase of rank. At that time Daniel Burch- ardt, of Philadelphia, who had been commissioned Captain of one of the companies of the regiment July 8, 1776, was promoted Major. In the Spring and Summer of 1779, during the absence of Lieut. Colonel Weltner "on command," the German Regiment was commanded by Major Burchardt. In the Spring of 1780 the regiment was stationed on the frontiers of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, with Lieut. Colonel Weltner in command. By a resolution of Congress passed in October, 1780, the German Regiment was reduced, and ended its organization January 1, 1781. Among the officers_of this regiment who were at Wilkes-Barre, and who took part in the Sullivan Expedition, were: Dr. Peter Peres, of Philadelphia, who served as Surgeon of the regiment from September 1, 1778, to Jan- uary 1, 1781; Capt. Bernard Hubley, who had been commissioned First Lieutenant August 15, 1776, and promoted Captain February 24, 1778; Capt .- Lieut. Philip Shrawder, of Philadelphia, who had been promoted from First Lieutenant February 8, 1778.

t ARMAND'S CORPS was raised under a resolution of Congress passed May 10, 1777, authorizing Charles Armand, Marquis de la Rouerie (who had come over from France a short time previously, and on the date mentioned had been commissioned Colonel by Congress), to raise a corps of French- men, not exceeding 200 in number. The corps was soon raised, was designated "Armand's Corps," and took a prominent part in the fight at Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1777, and later opposed the Tories in Westchester County, New York. In December, 1778, Armand's Corps-then composed of one com- pany of light dragoons and three companies of foot-soldiers, numbering, in all, ninety-five rank and file-was stationed at Minisink, New York, forming a part of the forces under the command of Brig. General Hand. Early in February, 1779, Colonel Armand applied to Congress for leave of absence. This having been granted, he went to France, and returned in the following Autumn with a large number of recruits for his Corps, which then became known as "Armand's Partizan Legion." In the latter part of 1779 the "Legion" was stationed at Ridgefield, Connecticut; later it was under General Gates in the South, and pursued Cornwallis to Yorktown. In the Spring of 1788 the "Legion"-then officially designated the "First Partizan Legion"-consisted of six troops of dragoons, under the com- mand of Colonel Armand. In 1788, on the recommendation of General Washington, Colonel Armand was promoted Brigadier General. After the close of the Revolutionary War General Armand returned to France. He took an active part in some of the events of the French Revolution, and died in 1798.

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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. II, Part 106

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press] Number of Pages: 683

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press]
Number of Pages: 683