A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 114

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 114

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The marble slab, which had stood for a number of years at the head of the Davis-Jones grave in the old burial-ground, was removed to Hollenback Cemetery and set up over the grave there-where it still stands-while the original red-stone slab is said to have been placed in the grave with the remains of the two officers.

In the Summer of 1896 Mrs. Martha (Bennett) Phelps of Wilkes-Barre caused to be erected, at her expense, and on her property near her Summer residence on Wilkes-Barre Mountain, a substan- tial stone monument to mark the spot where Captain Davis and Lieutenant Jones and their compan- ions fell. This monument, which was dedicated with very interesting ceremonies on September 12, 1896, in the presence of a large company of invited guests, bears upon one face the following inscription: "Near this spot, April 23, 1779, Captain Davis, Lieutenant Jones, Corporal Butler, and two privates, belonging to the advance guard of the Expedition under Major General John Sullivan, were scalped, tomahawked and speared by the Indians. Their bodies were buried here. Those of the two officers were reinterred in Wilkes-Barre, July 29, 1779." On another face of the monument the following inscription appears: "This Stone is given to the care of the Sons of the Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.'

* Capt. JOHN McDONNEL of Butler's Rangers.

t See the Pennsylvania Packet, August 19, 1779.

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"I embrace this earliest opportunity to inform you that on the 20th inst. Joseph Brant, with a party of Tories and Indians-twenty-seven whites and sixty Indians-made an attack on Minisink and killed four men ; took fifteen prisoners ; burnt ten dwelling- houses, one church, eleven barns, oue grist-mill, a large quantity of hay and grain ; took a great quantity of horses, cattle, and other plunder. The militia soon collected and pursued them, overtaking them about twenty-five miles up the Delaware, upon which a most bloody engagement began, continuing four hours. We lost forty of our best men, including one Colonel, six Captains, and seven or eight Lieutenants. * * We believe the enemy are at Cochecton, almost forty miles from this place and about the same dis- tance from Wyoming. * They left Chemung the 8th of July."*

To Colonel Hunter General Sullivan replied on July 30th as fol- lows (see " Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, VII : 594) :

* The following account of the British and Indian forays against Minisink and Fort Freeland (and the immediate reasons for the same) is taken from Ernest Cruikshank's "The Story of Butler's Rangers" (page 63), previously referred to. "On the 2d of May [1779] Maj. John Butler left Niag- ara with 400 men, including a few Indians. He was directed to advance no farther than Kanadesaga, the principal village of the Senecas, and keep a sharp lookout towards Fort Pitt and Wyoming.

Everywhere he found the Indians on the very brink of starvation -- many of them were actually liv- ing on roots and leaves. Cattle and grain could scarcely be purchased at any price. Scouts con- firmed the report that an overwhelming army was assembling on the Susquehanna, and said that the frontier settlements were everywhere protected by a girdle of strong stockades. Lieutenant Thompson, with forty 'Rangers,' accompanied by Roland Montour and a few Indians, was detached to the Susquehanna to obtain cattle; Lieutenant Johnson made a raid upon Schoharie and brought off eighteen prisoners. One bold recruiting officer had gone within sight of Albany and brought in twenty men belonging to Burgoyne's army. Another actually penetrated beyond the Hudson and en- listed seventy men.

"Butler urged the Indians to plant as much corn as possible, and every 'Ranger' not otherwise employed was set at work to assist them in the fields on the fertile Genesee flats. By the beginning of June his stock of provisions was exhausted, the 'Rangers' were living from hand to mouth, and the starving Indians were wasting his scanty supply of ammunition by firing at every wretched bird they saw in the woods. It seemed impossible to remain much longer at Kanadesaga. On the 3d of July a deserter came in from Wyoming, bringing, as it proved, very reliable information. He stated that when he left, General Hand was encamped there with 600 men, and Generals Sullivan and Maxwell were daily expected with nine regiments and nine cannon. Another army was to ad- vance from North River, and a third from Fort Pitt. "They intend to cut off the Indians as they come along, and then join and attack Niagara. They had 600 pack-horses, and were to have 400 more. A great number of boats were lying in the river.'

"There could no longer be any doubt that a very serious invasion was contemplated, although it was still generally supposed that the numbers of the enemy were much exaggerated. To distract their attention as much as possible, and occupy them in the defense of their own frontiers, as well as to procure supplies, McDonnel, with sixty 'Rangers,' a few volunteers from the 8th [ Regiment], and 100 Indians, was sent to the West Branch of the Susquehanna, while Lieut. Barent Frey and [Joseph ] Brant marched against Minisink, on the Delaware. Meanwhile, scouting parties returning from the Mohawk, discovered an encampment of troops at 'Cochran's Lake' [Lake Otsego], supposed to be the advance-guard of the army coming from the North River. They likewise brought the doleful news that Lieut. Henry Hare and Sergeant Newberry of the 'Rangers' had been taken by the enemy and executed as spies. Hare had been recognized while 'viewing the stores as they passed up the river,' and was hanged on a gallows-erected with a refinement of cruelty-in front of his own house." Their comrades were bitterly exasperated, and made fierce threats of retaliation in like manner.

"By the 19th of July every expedient that ingenuity and experience could suggest for the main- tenance of the remainder of his battalion at Kanadesaga had been exhausted. Lieutenant Thompson wrote from Tioga that he had been unable to procure any cattle, and must either return or starve. The Indians were continually begging [ Butler ] for food, which it was not in his power to supply. " 'To add to all this,' Butler continued, 'there is not the same opportunity of driving cattle from · the enemy's frontier as there was the preceding Summer.' Genesee Falls, two days' march from Kanadesaga, was selected as a suitable place for an encampment, where the 'Rangers' could be supplied with provisions by boats from Niagara, and the abundance of fish in the river would afford a welcome change of diet to men who had been living, for many weeks, on stale salt meat imported from Ireland. He [Butler] himself still remained at Kanadesaga to sustain the spirits of the Indians, and vigilant officers were stationed in all their outlying villages with instructions to keep scouts out in every direction.

"While Butler was so employed both the parties he had sent out against the frontiers had struck damaging blows. After a 'very fatiguing and tedious march over mountains and through woods almost impenetrable,' McDonnel gained the West Branch of the Susquehanna. On the 27th of July he marched all night, and at day-break came in sight of Fort Freeland, the frontier post. Before noon the garrison capitulated, after having two men killed. Thirty-one prisoners were taken, including a Commissioner of the County [of Northumberland]. Of the besiegers, only John Montour, who led a party of the Indians, was wounded, while scalping a man under the walls. Two hours later the 'Ran- gers' were unexpectedly attacked by a party of seventy or eighty men from a neighboring fort, who, having heard the firing, had advanced to the relief of Fort Freeland. The Indians had dispersed in search of cattle, and allowed them to approach unperceived until within gunshot. McDonnel has- tily formed his men and engaged them in front until the Indians assembled and took the enemy in the flank, when they were quickly routed, leaving three Captains and thirty men dead on the field. McDonnel said that very few would have escaped if their flight had not been favored by thick under- wood. He lost only one Indian killed and another wounded. After this skirmish he attempted to induce the Indians to follow up their success, but 'they were glutted with plunder,' and insisted on retreating a few miles to enjoy themselves overnight. In the morning he returned with 100 men and destroved five forts and thirty miles of settled country, advancing within a short distance of Shamo- kin [Sunbury ]. Eighty women and children were taken during the day and released uninjured. A hundred cattle were driven off, but half of them were subsequently stolen by the Indians. On the 5th of August McDonnel was again at Tioga, awaiting the approach of the enemy from Wyoming. "Brant and Frey had a very similar experience. They destroyed several small forts, or stock- ades, and many other buildings at Minisink, with little opposition. On their retreat they were pur- sued by a much superior force of militia, which outmarched them and formed an ambush at the Lack- awaxen ford. Quickly recovering from his surprise, Brant quietly led a party of Indians around a hill, and suddenly attacked his assailants in the rear. They dispersed, and were remorselessly slaugh- tered in their flight. More than a hundred were killed, and but one taken prisoner."

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* * "Your letter of the 28th I received to-day, announcing the loss of Fort Freeland. I could wish to assist you, but the good of the service will not admit it. The object of this expedition is of such a nature, and its consequences so extensive, that to turn the course of this army would be unwise, unsafe and impolitic. * * To-morrow morning I shall march with the whole army for Tioga, and must leave you to call upon the Council of your State for assistance. As Pennsylvania has neglected to furnish me with the troops promised for this expedition, she certainly will be enabled to defend her frontiers without much inconvenience." * *

At Wilkes-Barre, under the date of July 30, 1779, Lieut. Col. Adam Hubley, Jr., wrote to President Reed of Pennsylvania as follows* :

"In my humble opinion I think it would answer an exceedingly good end if a detachment of 500 men from this army were detached and sent on the Western Branch, as they would have it in their power effectually to scour that country, and be at Tioga nearly as soon as the main body. This would give relief to the poor inhabitants, and would by no means delay the expedition. * * I don't mean by giving my opin- ion so freely to throw the least reflection on the Commander [Sullivan]. I am confident he acts from pure principle, and for the good of the public in general. No man can be more vigilant and assiduous. I sincerely wish his labors may be crowned with laurels. To-morrow we march, and, I am sorry to say, exceedingly ill provided to carry through the extensive Expedition. The same unparalleled conduct of those employed in supply- ing this army seems still to exist. I hope to see the day when the delinquents will be brought to proper punishment. My regiment, I fear, will be almost totally naked before we can possibly return. I have scarcely a coat or blanket for every seventh man. The State stores are all issued and delivered to the regiment."

At " Camp Wyoming," Wilkes-Barre, under the date of July 30, 1779, General Sullivan wrote to General Washington as follows :

"I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I have at length surmounted every obstacle, and shall commence my march to-morrow morning."

At the same time General Sullivan wrote to Gen. James Clinton as follows :

"I shall leave this [place] to-morrow morning. I wish you to set out the 9th of next month [August, 1779]. On my arrival at Tioga I will immediately detach a consid- erable body of Light Troops to favour and secure your march."

On the same day General Sullivan placed in the hands of Col. Zebulon Butler the following letter of instructions, t now published for the first time.

"HEAD QUARTERS, WYOMING, July 30th [1779].

"Sir .- Relying with great confidence on your Zeal and Activity, I have thought proper, to charge you, with the defence of this very important Post, and when you con- sider the extent of my Confidence, which bears an exact proportion to the greatness of the Trust, I flatter myself, that every manly Motive will intimately interest you in its defence. Your Conduct will be regulated by the following orders

" Immediately after my leaving this Post, you will turn your attention to its Secur- ity. You will have the Abattis repaired, and any other Improvement made, which may tend to strengthen the Works. A subaltern and 25 Men must be immediately thrown into the little Work, # with positive injunctions to be vigilant, and not to suffer his Men to straggle, but to keep his Force collected. You must be convinced of the necessity of this, as well as of the propriety (should the enemy approach) of removing such Houses as wd interrupt your line of Fire, or favor their Attack. You will have Sentries in advance of each flank of your Works, and Patroles will tend greatly to prevent a surprize. Should this duty be rather fatiguing, small Fires, built at some distance from your Works, will, in cloudy Nights, enable your Sentries to distinguish an Enemy at a very considerable Distance. The Inhabitants will (no doubt) if call'd upon, contribute their Assistance to your support, as their future Existence in a great measure depends upon it. You will, if necessary, make the Experiment, and in short you are to practice every Precaution which a Garrison expos'd as this is, can for its safety require.

"In addition to the above orders, you are hereby instructed to favor the Passage of all Letters, Cloathing, &c., which may hereafter arrive, or in future be directed to me; so far as it can be done, with that Prudence which I have heretofore recommended to you. I wish you likewise to collect as much Forage as possible, of every kind, and you will

* Sec "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, VII : 596.

t The original letter is now in the possession of the present writer.

# The "Sullivan Redoubt," situated on the crest of the ridge, north-east of the town-plot of Wilkes-Barre, as described on page 1194.

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keep the Saw-Mill constantly employ'd in cutting Plank with which you will repair the Meeting House* as an Hospital for such soldiers as are incapable of Duty.

"Thus far I have thought advisable to instruct you. But as it is impossible to enumerate every particular of your Duty, and local Circumstances must in a great meas- ure determine it, I rely much on your Prudence, and sincerely wish you an agreeable Command.

[Signed] "JNO. SULLIVAN, Maj. Gen." "To Colonel BUTLER.

During the whole of the morning of Saturday, July 31st, every department of the army at Wilkes-Barre was busy with preparations for the advance northward. The completing of the loading of the boats and pack-horses occupied a good deal of time and employed a large num- ber of men, and the work was very fatiguing. There were 1,220 pack- horses, allotted as follows : Twenty for the use of the Commander-in- Chief and his staff ; 300 for Maxwell's brigade; 300 for Poor's brigade : 200 for Hand's brigade; 100 for Procter's regiment, and 300 for the public stores-all in charge of a corps of " conductors," under the direc- tion of Col. William Bond of New Jersey. In addition, of course, to these horses were those ridden by the various mounted officers of the Expedition. The boats, 214 in number, t were loaded with the guns of the artillery regiment, ammunition, salted provisions, liquors, heavy bag- gage, and all the flour-excepting some carried in kegs on the pack- horses-required for the Expedition. This fleet was manned by the men of Colonel Procter's regiment, 250 soldiers detailed from other regi- ments, and 450 enlisted boatmen, and the boats were propelled against the current of the river by these men with the aid of setting-poles. Col- onel Procter was in command of the fleet.

According to orders issued by General Sullivan on July 25th the line of march of the army was fixed as follows: General Hand's bri- gade, acting as light-troops, to move in three columns and keep about a mile ahead of the main body of troops. General Maxwell's brigade to advance with its right in front, to be followed by General Poor's bri- gade with its left in front. The pack-horses and cattle to follow in the rear of General Poor's brigade. The flank-guard on the right of the column to consist of a field-officer, and 200 men in two divisions. The flank-guard on the left to consist of a Captain, and sixty men in two divisions. The rear guard to consist of a complete regiment, taken one day from Maxwell's brigade and the next day from Poor's-and thus alternating during the progress of the Expedition. (It was the duty of this guard to look after straggling men and cattle.) The main body of the army was ordered to keep as nearly abreast of the fleet as possible ; and the horns, with which the boats were provided, were to be frequently sounded, in order to give notice of the location of the boats. It was ordered that a Captain and sixty men should advance a mile in front of the boats on the west, or right, bank of the river, to scour the country and give notice of ambuscades. In case of their being attacked by a superior force they were to retreat across the river ; and, to enable them to do this, four light boats were to keep ahead of the fleet, nearly abreast of the members of the party. These boats were to be manned by a trusty officer and twelve armed soldiers, who were "to be answerable for their conduct."

* This was a small and unpretentious frame edifice, which stood in the south-west corner of the public grave-yard in Wilkes-Barre-on the spot where the City Hall is now located. It was erected there in 1773, and was only partly destroyed when the village was burned by the British and Indians in July, 1778.

t See "Pennsylvania Archives," Second Series, IV : 557.

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Two Captains, six subalterns and 100 rank and file were ordered to remain at Wilkes-Barré to constitute the Wyoming garrison, under the command of Col. Zebulon Butler. This left an effective force of from 3,200 to 3,400 men-including officers, boatmen and " conductors "-to set off up the river ; a force smaller, by several hundred men, than it had been all along intended and expected by both Washington and Sullivan should compose the main division of the army. With the Expedition marched, as a part of Hand's brigade, the Westmoreland Independent Company (commanded by Capt. Simon Spalding), in the Continental service, and a company of Westmoreland militia organized for the occasion and commanded by Capt. John Franklin. The latter company numbered only a few men, and, so far as is known, there is no roll of the organization now in existence. During the greater part of the campaign Captain Franklin, together with Lieut. John Jenkins, Jr., of Spalding's company, and "Captain" Jehoiakim, the Mohegan Indian previously mentioned, served in the important capacity of a guide. Lieut. Obadiah Gore, Jr., Serg't Asa Chapman, Corporal Thomas Park, and the other men of the 3d Regiment, Connecticut Line, mentioned in the second paragraph on page 834 as being on duty at the Wyoming post in 1779, also took part in the Expedition.

On the eve of leaving Wilkes-Barre General Sullivan made a requi- sition on the Board of War for clothing, stores, etc., which were greatly needed for his army. This reached the Board about the 2d of August, and drew forth a letter to Congress, written under the date of August 4, 1779, by Col. Timothy Pickering, in behalf of the Board. At that time no member of the Board had yet seen a copy of the General Order issued by General Sullivan at Wilkes-Barre, July 21, 1779. (See page 1196.) In his communication to the Congress Colonel Pick- ering recited in detail the various requisitions which had been made by General Sullivan, and stated how far the Board had honored them. He then wrote :

"General Sullivan has now made a demand of 1,000 blankets and 5,000 shirts, which at present 'tis not possible to comply with. Could we have formed any certain judgment of the quantity of clothing requisite for General Sullivan's army, we should have spared no pains to supply it. * * * Moreover, General Sullivan's demands being usually on a large scale, we deemed some caution necessary in granting him supplies. He asked for 1.000 spare muskets at a time we had but a single one in store. We com- municated the matter to General Washington, at the same time informing him that we had some time before ordered 200 stand of spare arms and accouterments complete for the troops under General Sullivan ; and these his Excellency, in his answer, judged ade- quate to the service."

Everything being in readiness at Wilkes-Barre for the advance of the army, a cannon was fired at Fort Wyoming at noon of July 31st as a signal for the troops to set out. General Hand's brigade was imme- diately put in motion, and marched in the following order : The 11th Pennsylvania Regiment and Captain Spalding's company constituted a column to march on the main road (the present North Main Street) lead- ing northward from the town-plot of Wilkes-Barre. The German Regi- ment and Schott's Independent Corps (the latter temporarily commanded by Capt. Anthony Selin) formed the right column, and marched on the right of the first-mentioned, or center, column. The right flank of the right column was covered by one-third of the light-infantry of the 11th Regiment, and all the riflemen of Schott's Corps, marching in single file, and the whole commanded by Captain Schott; while two-thirds of the light-infantry of the "11th," and all the riflemen of Spalding's com-

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pany, marched in single file on the left flank of the center column, and answered the purpose of a third column. Sixty men, under Capt. Wil- liam Gifford of the 3d New Jersey Regiment, marched on the west, or right, bank of the river, abreast of Hand's brigade and a mile in front of the boats, as ordered.

About one o'clock in the afternoon the firing of a cannon from Col- onel Procter's flag-boat, " The Adventure," was the signal for the boats of the fleet to weigh anchor. "In a few moments the whole of the main body of the army was in motion, with flags flying, drums beating, fifes screaming, and Colonel Procter's regimental band playing a lively air. Passing the fort, a salute of thirteen guns was fired, which was answered by a like number from the fleet." In pursuance of the orders previously mentioned General Maxwell's brigade marched first, followed by Gen- eral Poor's-each in column formation. Then came the pack-horses of the Expedition, strung along for a distance of a mile ; and then came a drove of 600 or 700 beef cattle. The 1st New Jersey Regiment (com- manded by Col. Matthias Ogden) constituted the rear-guard for the first day's march.

The route pursued by the center column of Hand's brigade, and by the main column of the army, was the highway running from Wilkes- Barré to Pittston. According to the maps of Lieutenant Lodge (previ- ously mentioned) the road was a continuation of Main Street in the town-plot of Wilkes-Barre. It crossed Mill Creek, by a bridge, about a mile from the Susquehanna, and then, at a distance ranging from one- quarter to three-quarters of a mile from the Susquehanna, ran a course generally north-north-east to the Lackawanna River. At a distance of four miles from Fort Wyoming (near the present village of Plainsville) the road crossed the little brook described on page 213, Vol. I. Chap- lain Rogers, describing this day's march in his journal, says :

"The country we came through to-day, though generally a wilderness, affords a pleasing prospect of great improvement in a future day. We passed several plantations [on Jacob's Plains], with no houses of any kind standing-being all burnt by the enemy. From the road we occasionally saw the river, which excited agreeable sensations. Cross- ing Lackawanick Creek, which is in breadth about sixty yards, and fordable at all times of the year, we encamped for the night near the same, on a beautiful plain -having marched from Wilkesbarre ten miles, and reaching the plain between the hours of five and six."

Lieut. Colonel Hubley made the following entry in his journal relative to the march of July 31st.

" I was struck on this day's march with the ruins of many houses, chiefly built of logs, and uninhabited. * * Arrived at a most beautiful plain, covered with an abundance of grass, through which runs a delightful stream of water known by the name of Lackawanna. Crossed the stream, and encamped about one mile on the northern side of it-advanced [i. e. the "light-troops " about one half mile in front of the main body."

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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 114

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