A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 110

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 110

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1823, to John N. Conyngham; died July 81, 1879. (See in a subsequent chapter a sketch and portrait of the Hon. John N. Conyngham.) (viii) Zebulon, born September 27, 1803; married November 12, 1829, to Mary Ann Murdock; was a Presbyterian clergyman for thirty-three years at Port Gibson, Mississippi, where he died December 23, 1860. (ix) Lord, born October 18, 1805; died November 27, 1861. (See a sketch of his life in a subsequent chapter.) (x) Phebe Haight, born January 16, 1811; married in 1835 to Dr. Alexander C. Donaldson, of Folsom, California; died in July, 1849.

(ii) Peirce Butler was married February 2, 1818, to Temperance (born December 27, 1790), eld- est child of Arnold and Lucinda (Yarington) Colt-referred to more at length in a subsequent chap- ter-and they settled in Kingston Township, Wyoming Valley, where, for the greater part of his life, Mr. Butler was occupied in farming. He became a member of Lodge No. 61, F. and A. M., Wilkes- Barre, April 11, 1814, and was Senior Warden of the Lodge in 1821 and again in 1845. "He was possessed of an uncommon share of native good sense, a sound, discriminating judgment, a happy, benevolent disposition. Few men ever had fewer enemies, and none ever had warmer and more sin- cere friends. The virtues of humanity were so happily blended in him as to command the esteem and affection of all who knew him. He was a faithful and devoted Mason." Peirce Butler died at his- home in Kingston March 80, 1848, and was buried with the ceremonies and honors of Free Masonry by Lodge No. 61. Mrs. Temperance (Colt) Butler died in Kingston May 10, 1863. The children of Peirce and Temperance (Colt) Butler were: (1) Houghton Seymour, born December 15, 1818; became a civil engineer; married March 18, 1847, to Caroline Amanda Meyer (born in Wysox, Bradford County, Pennsylvania; died in Wilkes-Barre April 8, 1893). He died August 22, 1870, being survived by his wife and three children: Charles S., Henry Colt, and Julia. (2) Mary Lucinda, born January 13, 1822; married November 21, 1842, to Elijah Wadhams (born January 18, 1813), fifth child of Benjamin and Lydia (Fuller) Reynolds of Plymouth; he was a merchant in Wilkes-Barre for many years; was President of the Town Council in 1848 and '49; became a member of Lodge No. 61, F. and A. M., February 12, 1844, and was Treasurer of the Lodge in 1845 and '46, and Secretary in 1851. Elijah W. Reynolds died September 25, 1869, and his widow died November 81, 1897. Chil- dren: Peirce Butler, William Champion, and John Butler. (3) James Montgomery, born February 9, 1826; married March 18, 1852, to Martha (born September 28, 1832), daughter of John and Polly (Drake) Lazarus of Hanover Township, Luzerne County; died in Kingston December 9, 1861. Chil- dren: Blanche Montgomery, Peirce, George Hollenback, John Lord, and James Montgomery. (4) Peirce, born October 13, 1832; married January 17, 1855, to Catherine A. Kelley. Resides in Carbon- dale, Pennsylvania.

* From an original record, now in the collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological So- ciety, we learn that the following Quartermaster's stores were "issued at the post of Wyoming by Lord Butler, A. Q. M., in July, 1779." 28714 quires of paper; 156 blank books; 1,059 quills; 69 papers of ink-powder; 19 ink-stands; 201/2 boxes of wafers; 1,297 knapsacks; 1,774 haversacks; 1,184 canteens; 156 camp-kettles; 14 scythe-stones; 18 scythes; 1 grindstone; 11 coils of rope; 11 tin candle- sticks; 38 tents; 162 felling-axes; 65 spades; 46 shovels; 27 pickaxes; 46 portmanteaux; 880 horse- shoe nails; 162 lbs. of nails; 675 pack-saddles; 203 rope halters; 116 "Aa" slings; 6 horse-bells and collars.

t ADAM HUBLEY, (JR.), was a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was commissioned by Congress, October 27, 1775, First Lieutenant in the First Pennsylvania Battalion (commanded by Col. John Bull, who was succeeded in January, 1776, by John Philip De Haas), raised in pursuance of a resolution of Congress passed October 12, 1775. His term of service having expired in October, 1776, Lieutenant Hubley was, on December 6, 1776, commissioned Major in one of the "additional" regiments ordered to be raised by Congress-as mentioned in the note on page 1108. March 12, 1777, he was promoted Lieut. Colonel of the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment, Continental Line, ranking from

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While Wilkes-Barre, during the building of the "Sullivan Road," was filled to overflowing with Continental soldiers-Frenchmen, Ger- mans, Yankees and Pennsylvanians-and nearly everybody here was kept on the move, in one way or another, because of the necessary and extensive preparations which were being made for the designed expedi- tion, Easton, at the other end of the road, was equally in a state of bus- tle and excitement. What with the hurrying up of supplies, the arrival of troops and their departure for Wilkes-Barré, the reviewing and inspecting of the various commands encamped at Easton, a con- tinual correspondence carried on with the Commander-in-Chief, and likewise with the President of Pennsylvania (relative to troops from his State that had been promised for the Expedition, but had not yet materi- alized), visits to the Moravians at Bethlehem, courts-martial, executions of military malefactors, and many other duties-as well as diversions- General Sullivan led a strenuous life for about six weeks, and kept his subordinate officers in a state of almost constant activity.

As early as May 24th General Sullivan, believing that the Expe- dition would soon be in readiness to set out for the Indian country, issued, in general orders, full details (accompanied by diagrams) as to the "order of march " and "order of battle" to be observed by the troops .* At that date, besides General Sullivan and his staff, and Brig. Gen. William Maxwell of New Jersey (assigned to the command of the 1st Brigade of the Expedition) and his staff, the following organizations were encamped at Easton : Procter's Pennsylvania Artillery Regiment, the 1st New Hampshire Regiment (Col. Joseph Cilley in command), the 1st New Jersey Regiment (Col. Matthias Ogden in command), and one or two companies of the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment. Two days later the 2d New Hampshire Regiment (Lieut. Col. George Reid in com- mand) and the 3d New Hampshire Regiment (Lieut. Col. Henry Dear- born in command), led by Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor of New Hampshire (who was assigned to the command of the 2d Brigade of the Expedition), and the 3d New Jersey Regiment (Col. Elias Dayton in command), arrived at Easton-the first two regiments after a long march through New York and New Jersey. These troops having been supplied with tents, went into camp on the south-east side of the town, on the left bank of the Lehigh River. A few days later the 2nd New Jersey Regiment (Col. Israel Shreve in command) reached Easton ; but in the meantime the 1st New Jersey Regiment and the 1st New Hampshire Regiment had

October 4, 1776; and June 8, 1779, he was appointed Lieut. Colonel Commandant of the "New Eleventh Regiment," to rank from February 13, 1779. (See page 1108.) Colonel Hubley retired from the service January 1, 1781, and settled at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He became a member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati in December, 1783. He was a Free Mason, and was one of the seven Master Masons who were charter members of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M., warranted April 21, 1785, and constituted September 14, 1785, at the house of Frederick Hubley in Lancaster. In later years Colonel Hubley was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and of the Senate. He was appointed one of the City Auctioneers of Philadelphia, and died there of yellow fever in 1798.

At New Windsor, New York, under the date of March 24, 1781, General Washington wrote as follows concerning Colonel Hubley: "Adam Hubley, Junr., Esq., late Lieut. Colonel Commandant of the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment, entered the service as a Lieutenant in the year 1775, from which rank he rose to that of the command of a regiment, and continued until the late reform of the army, when he was under the necessity of retiring upon half-pay. For the last three years Colonel Hubley acted principally under my immediate command, during which time he distinguished himself as an attentive, brave and intelligent officer; and from the testimony of the gentlemen under whom he served at other periods, his conduct has been uniformly deserving of applause."

At Trenton, New Jersey, under the date of January 19, 1781, Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne, com- manding the Pennsylvania Line, wrote as follows: "If more than five years' faithful service in the field-if the truest patriotism, bravery and assiduity-entitles the gentleman and the soldier to the esteem and confidence of his country, Lieut. Colonel Commandant Adam Hubley has the highest claim to it."

* See "Journals of the Sullivan Expedition," pages 66-68.

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been sent forward from Easton-the one to work on the "Sullivan Road," and the other to reinforce the garrison at Wilkes-Barre, as related on page 1175.

"In the meanwhile," states the Rev. Dr. Craft in his "historical address " previously referred to, "some of the Jersey troops were in a state of mutiny because the authorities of that State not only neglected to provide for the depreciation of the currency, but had failed to pay .even the nominal sum-in the almost worthless Continental paper-money -due them for their services. It required all the address of the officers to quiet the minds of the soldiers, and Washington declared that nothing had occurred during the war which so filled him with alarm. Spies from the enemy were also busily at work amongst the · disaffected sol- diers, urging them to desert the army and betray their country. * * *

" Difficulties of another sort began to present themselves. Many people in Pennsylvania had opposed the Expedition from the first. The Quakers of Philadelphia, averse to all war on principle, were specially so to any measure which looked towards punishing the Indians, who, they alleged, were far more deserving of pity than blame for whatever excesses they might be guilty of; while what was known *

* as the Pennamite party-which included men possessing large wealth and much political influence -* *

* while they professed to commiser- ate the sufferings of the [Wyoming] people, did not hesitate to express their satisfaction at being clear of the hated 'intruders,' and their per- fect willingness that the Indians should keep them out of the disputed territory until the war was over. This opposition began to show itself early in the campaign, in the lack of hearty co-operation and the fail- ure to furnish either their quota of men or supplies for the army."

At Easton, June 3, 1779, Lawrence Miller (who had been a Lieu- tenant in the New Jersey Militia) and Michael Rosebury, inhabitants of Sussex County, New Jersey, were tried by a general court-martial on the charge of "enticing soldiers of the American army to desert to the enemy, and engaging their assistance for that purpose." The prisoners were found guilty by the court (of which Brig. General Maxwell was President), and were "sentenced to suffer death." General Sullivan approved the sentence, but postponed the execution of it for a few days. On the 7th of June General Sullivan wrote from Easton to Presi- dent Reed of Pennsylvania in part as follows* :

"I am happy to find your Excellency and the Council pursuing every measure to forward the Expedition. * * I doubt not every effort will be used on your part to have the troops sent on with expedition, as the army, if moved to Wyoming, must await their arrival, as our numbers will fall far short of what was supposed, and the army must remain there consuming the provisions intended for the Expedition, until those troops have joined."

On June 12th Sullivan wrote to General Washington, giving him in detail the difficulties he had been compelled to meet. In reply the Commander-in-Chief wrote : "I am very sorry you are like to be dis- appointed in the independent companies expected from Pennsylvania, and that you have encountered greater difficulties than you looked for. I am satisfied that every exertion in your power will be made, and I hope that your eventful operations will be attended with fewer obstacles."

At Easton, on Saturday, June 12, 1779, three soldiers belonging to the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment were hanged for highway robbery and

* See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, VII: 473.

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murder. They had been tried before the Northampton County Court, found guilty, and sentenced to death eleven months previously. At four o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th all the troops in Easton were paraded and marched to the place of execution. Sergeant Thomas Roberts, referring to this incident, states in his journal of the Sullivan Expedi- tion : "I never saw so many spectators in my life, I think. Accord- ing to my opinion there were 4,000."

A day or two later Mrs. Washington, the wife of the Commander- in-Chief, arrived in Easton from her husband's camp, en route to her home in Virginia. The following is an extract from one of the diaries preserved in the Moravian archives at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania .*

" [Bethlehem] 15 June, 1779. Early this morning Lady Washington arrived here from Easton in company with Generals Sullivan, Poor and Maxwell, and some twenty other officers. After dinner Brother Ettwein escorted Lady Washington through the large buildings [of the Moravians], and in the evening, with her suite, she attended the service-Brother Ettwein speaking in English. 16 June .- Lady Washington set out for Virginia this morning."

On June 17th all the troops at Easton received orders to prepare to march for Wyoming on the 18th. On that day, at three o'clock in the morning, a cannon was fired ; a half hour later the generale was beaten, and at four the assembly was sounded. Whereupon, all the tents hav- ing been struck, and, with the baggage of the troops, loaded upon pack- horses and wagons, the head of the column was put in motion. The first day's march extended only to " Heller's," a halt being made on the way there for breakfast. At four o'clock in the morning of the 19th the march was continued to Brinker's Mills, or "Sullivan's Stores," where, at seven o'clock, a halt was made and four days' provisions were drawn. The march was then continued to " Learn's," where the command biv- ouacked until the next morning-Sunday, June 20th-when, at eight o'clock, the march was resumed and continued for about six miles to " Rum Bridge." (This locality, situated in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, has been known for many years now as "Hungry Hill.") The Rev. Dr. Rogers, in his account of this day's march and bivouac, in his journal of the Sullivan Expedition, states :

"Marched this morning in the following order : General Maxwell's brigade in front. Next Colonel Procter's regiment ; then Poor's brigade; afterwards the baggage. Halted at Rum Bridge for the night, six miles from the last inhabited house towards Wyoming. The camp is called ' Chowder Camp,' from the Commander-in-Chief dining this day on chowder made of trout. The artillery soldiers killed two or three rattle- snakes, and made, as I understand, a good meal of them. Owing to Pocono Mountain and other eminences, found this day's march very fatiguing to the horses belonging to. the artillery."

The march of June 21st was the longest and severest experienced on the route from Easton to Wilkes-Barre. Sergeant Moses Fellows makes the following reference to it in his journal :

"Marched twenty miles through a rough country and a new road-the land cov- ered with pine, hemlock, spruce, etc. We ate breakfast at a small river called Tunk- hanna ; passed another stream called Tobyhanna, and another the Lehigh. We passed what is called the Shades of Death-a gloomy, thick part of the swamp.'

Maj. James Norris describes this day's march as follows :

"This day's march of twenty-one miles was as severe as it was unnecessary, through a wilderness where there had been only an Indian path till the troops cut a road this Spring for the passage of Sullivan's army. The fatigues of this day might have been prevented by a longer march yesterday ; but after crossing two considerable streams called Tunkhanna and Tobyhanna, there is no proper ground for an encampment till we get through the swamp. After we had crossed the creek we came to the Lehigh, the

* See the Pennsylvania Magasine, XIII : 87.

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western branch of the Delaware ; and having passed this we enter a gloomy grove of cypress, hemlock, pine, spruce, &c., called the Shades of Death. The growth of timber in the swamp is amazing."

In the journal of the Rev. Dr. Rogers we find the following account of the march of June 21st :

"This day we marched through the Great Swamp and Bear Swamp .* The Great Swamp, which is eleven or twelve miles through, contains what is called in our maps the 'Shades of Death,' by reason of its darkness. * * The roads in some places are toler- able, but in other places exceedingly bad, by reason of which, and a long though neces- sary march, three of our wagons and the carriages of two field-pieces were broken down. This day we proceeded twenty miles, and encamped late in the evening at a spot which the Commander named ' Camp Fatigue.' The troops were tired and hungry. * * In the Great Swamp is Locust Hill, where we discovered evident marks of a destroyed Indian village. t * The army continued at Camp Fatigue until two o'clock P. M. [Tuesday, June 22d], on account of their great march the preceding day-many of the wagons of the rear guard not getting in until midnight. A bear and a wolf were seen by a New Hampshire sentinel, and several deer by a scouting party ; but none were shot."

On June 22d the troops moved only five miles, to "Bullock's," where they found large meadows and plenty of grass for their horses, as the diarists of the Expedition have recorded. They were now within seven miles of Fort Wyoming, on the River Common, at the foot of North- ampton Street, Wilkes-Barre, by way of the newly-completed road from " Bullock's," and early in the morning of June 23d General Sullivan issued his orders relative to the last stage of their six day's march. Finally the column moved forward, crossed over Wilkes-Barre Mountain and on down into the Valley, and about midday went into camp at the bend of the river, about half a mile below Fort Wyoming. The fol- lowing extract from the journalt of the Rev. Dr. Rogers relates to the incidents of June 23d.

"The troops prepared themselves for Wyoming, from which we were now distant only seven miles. This day we marched with regularity, and at a distance of three miles came to the place where Captain Davis and Lieutenant Jones, with a Corporal and four privates, were scalped, tomahawked and speared by the savages, fifteen or twenty in number. Two boards are fixed at the spot where Davis and Jones fell, with their names on each-Jones' being besmeared with his own blood. In passing this melancholy vale, an universal gloom appeared on the countenances of both officers and men without dis- tinction, and from the eyes of many, as by a sudden impulse, dropped the sympathizing tear. Colonel Procter, out of respect to the deceased, ordered the music to play the tune of ' Roslin Castle,'§ the soft and moving notes of which, together with what so forcibly struck the eye, tended greatly to fill our breasts with pity, and to renew our grief for our worthy departed friends and brethren. * *

"Getting within two miles of Wyoming, we had from a fine eminence|| an excel- lent view of the settlement. * * At present there are a few log houses, newly built, a fort, one or two stockaded redoubts, and a row of barracks. * * Thursday, June 24th,

* This is an error. The troops marched through the Great Swamp and the Shades of Death, and almost, if not quite, to the eastern border of Bear Swamp, where they bivouacked. They were then within about twelve miles, by the Sullivan Road, of Fort Wyoming.

t See the reference to "Indian Field" on page 1172.

# See "Journals of the Military Expedition of Maj. Gen. John Sullivan," page 248.

" The castle of Roslin is an ancient ruin near Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the seat of the St. Clair family, Lords of Roslin, and Sir Walter Scott, in one of his poems, refers to it thus:

"O'er Roslin all that dreary night A wondrous blaze was seen to gleam;

'Twas broader than the watch-fire's light,

And redder than the bright moonbeam."

A song entitled "Roslin Castle," written by Richard Hewitt, was first published in Herd's Col- lection, in 1776. One of its stanzas is as follows:

"Of Nannie's charms the shepherd sung; The hills and dales with Nannie rung;

While Roslin Castle heard the swain, And echoed back his cheerful strain."

The tune of "Roslin Castle," mournful in its character, was always (up to at least seventy years ago) played by a military band, with muffled drums, when a dead soldier was horne to his grave. After the reading of Washington's Farewell Address to the army in 1783, the bands struck up "Ros- lin Castle," and as the sad strains were wafted to the ears of the listeners, the Continental soldiers broke ranks for the last time.

! PROSPECT ROCK, undoubtedly.

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I was introduced to Col. Zebulon Butler, the gentleman of whom much has been said on account of his persevering conduct in opposing the savages. Had an interview with Mr. Ludwig, baker-in-chief for the army, who was sent on from Easton to this post to prepare bread for the troops. Owing to his activity a bake-house was built in eleven days, and a large quantity of bread was in readiness for delivery on our arrival."

In the journals of several of the other officers of the Sullivan Expe- dition there are some brief, but interesting, paragraphs descriptive of Wilkes-Barre as it appeared at that time to the writers. Lieut. William Barton states :

"The land level, but not so good whereon the town stood, as in many other places adjacent. It is on the Eastern Branch of the river, sixty-six miles above Sunbury. This Branch is an exceedingly fine, pretty river, and opposite the town, in midsummer, five or six fathoms of water, as clear as it can be. Some places, above and below, shoal enough to be forded ; about 150 yards wide, and in times of great freshets said to rise fifteen feet, overflowing a great part of the lowlands. * * The mornings and evenings at this place very cool, and notwithstanding heavy fogs till eight and nine o'clock in the morning, yet the place is said to be very healthy."

Lieut. Col. Adam Hubley wrote :

"Wyoming [Wilkes-Barre] is situated on the east side of the East Branch of the Susquehanna, the town consisting of about seventy houses, chiefly log buildings. Besides these buildings there are sundry larger ones which were erected by the army for the pur- pose of receiving stores, etc .; a large bake-house, and smoke-houses. There is likewise a small fort erected in the town, with a strong abattis around it, and a small redoubt to shelter the inhabitants in case of an alarm. * * I cannot omit taking notice of the poor inhabitants of the town ; two-thirds of them are widows and orphans, who, by the vile hands of the savages, * * are left totally dependent on the public, and are become absolute objects of charity."

Maj. James Norris wrote :

"About twelve o'clock we entered the town of Wyoming [Wilkes-Barre], which exhibits a melancholy scene of desolation, in ruined houses, wasted fields, and fatherless children and widows. * * * All the houses along this river have been burnt, and the gardens and fields-the most fertile I ever beheld-grown over with weeds and bushes, exhibit a melancholy picture of savage rage and desolation."

During their stay in Wyoming Valley the officers of the Expedi- tion-as we learn from the journals of several of them-whiled away the time not devoted to drills, inspections, and other military duties, by engaging in various pastimes and diversions. Dinners were frequently given at the different brigade and regimental headquarters, and upon several evenings there was dancing on the River Common-styled by the officers the " Green." A number of the officers played shinney at times, or took part in " a hearty game " called " bandy-wicket "-a sport akin to cricket. Fishing in the river, both with a seine and hook and line, was frequently engaged in, and garfish, pike, salmon-trout, chubs, suckers, bass, rock, shad, and common trout were "pretty plenty." Chaplain Rogers records the catching of a rock-fish on June 25th which measured two feet and nine inches in length, and weighed twenty-seven pounds. Under the date of June 29, 1779, at Wilkes-Barre, Thomas Roberts (of Middletown Point, New Jersey), a Sergeant in the 5th New Jersey Regiment, wrote : "The shad lays in the river and on the shore as thick as moss-bunkers at Middletown shore." Upon

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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 110

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