A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 2

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 2

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).

In 1751 William and Deborah (Green) Reynolds and their children removed from West Greenwich to Coventry, Rhode Island, where they continued to reside until 1759, when, having disposed of his estate there for £1,000, Mr. Reynolds removed with all his family except his two eldest children to the Province of New York-locating, presumably, in either Dutchess County or Orange County. About that period there were considerable emigrations from eastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island to the counties mentioned ; and through those counties, later, the New Englanders pursued their toilsome journeys on their way to settle in Wyoming.

(v) Benjamin Reynolds came to Wyoming in the Spring or Summer of 1769, either with the party headed by Major Durkee (see page 487) or with one of the smaller parties that came later, for he signed the petition drawn up at Wilkes-Barre August 29, 1769. (See page 510, Vol. I.) William the father came before September 12, 1769 (on which date he signed at Wilkes-Barre the petition mentioned on page 512), and shortly afterwards (iii) David joined his father and brother. The name of William Reynolds appears in the tax lists of Plymouth Township (where he settled in 1772) for 1776, 1777 and 1778, and the name of David Reynolds appears in the lists for 1777 and 1778. It is not probable that Benjamin Reynolds re- mained here for any great length of time, as his name does not appear later than 1771 in any of the few "lists of settlers" now in existence. He was living in Pownal, Bennington County, Vermont, in January, 1795, when he conveyed to Charles E. Gaylord certain lands in Plymouth Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, which had been devised to him by his father William. In March, 1797, Benjamin Reynolds of Exeter, Washington County, Rhode Island-presumably the son of William of Plymouth, as above- mentioned-conveyed to his sons Joseph and Benjamin "all his right in the Susquehanna Purchase." William Reynolds died at Plymouth in 1791, aged considerably more than ninety years. By his will, pro- bated at Wilkes-Barre January 6, 1792, he devised his estate to his children Sarah, Caleb, David, Griffin, Benjamin and James.

(iii) David Reynolds was twice married. The name of his first wife, and the place and time of her death, are not known. She bore her husband two children-Joseph (who married but had no children) and Mary (who became the wife of Levi Bronson). In 1779 David Reynolds was married (2d) to Mrs. Hannah ( Andrus) Gaylord (born 1746), widow of Charles Gaylord (formerly of Plymouth) who had died in July, 1777, while a soldier in the Continental Army. David Reynolds died at Plymouth July 8, 1816, and

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The foregoing Articles were executed in duplicate, and the copy -in the excellent and well-known handwriting of Charles Stewart- which was retained by the representatives of the Yankees, is now in the possession of Mrs. Annie B. D. Reynolds of Wilkes-Barre, whose husband (the late Sheldon Reynolds) was a great-grandson of David Reynolds, one of the subscribing witnesses to the Articles. By the courtesy of Mrs. Reynolds we are able to present on the next page a photo-repro- duction of a portion of this interesting document.

In conformity with the terms of the capitulation Stephen Gardner, Stephen Jenkins, Asa Ludington, Roasel Franklin, Maj. Simeon Draper, Samuel Hotchkiss, William Wallsworth, Frederick Spyer, Peregrine Gardner, James Nisbitt, James Forsyth, Daniel Brown, Jedidiah Olcott and Christopher Avery were selected as the fourteen Yankees who were to remain at Fort Durkee, "to dwell there in the houses numbered 1, 5, 10, 15, 17 and 21."* Within two or three days after the capitulation all the Yankees in Wyoming-with the exception of the abovementioned -peaceably left the disputed territory. No sooner had they departed, however, than Ogden and his party, in violation of the Articles of Capitu-

his wife Hannah died there October 7, 1823. Their only child was Benjamin Reynolds-born February 4, 1780, and died February 22, 1854, at Plymouth-concerning whom, as well as other members of the Reynolds family, mention is made in subsequent pages.

t Capt. JOSEPH MORRIS, mentioned on page 626. He was a resident of Morris County, New Jersey, and was, undoubtedly, a neighbor there, as well as a personal friend, of Capt. Amos Ogden. Further men- tion of Captain Morris is made in subsequent pages of this Chapter.

[ Son of STEPHEN GARDNER, one of the signers of the Articles of Capitulation. The "signer" was (III) Stephen Gardner mentioned in the note on page 254.

§ WILLIAM GALLUP was born at Groton (on the river Thames, opposite New London), Connecticut, July 4, 1723, the fifth child of Benadam Gallup, Jr. The latter (born 1693) was an early settler in Groton, where he held various town offices, and in 1730 was a Representative from the town in the General Assembly of Connecticut. He was the fourth child of Benadam and Esther (Prentice) Gallup, and the grandson of Capt. John and Hannah (Lake) Gallup of Stonington, Connecticut. Capt. John Gallup, last mentioned, was a man of considerable prominence in his day. He took part in the Pequot War of 1637, and received a grant of land for his services. In 1665 and '67 he represented Stonington in the General Court of Connecticut ; and, having become quite proficient in a knowledge of some of the Indian dialects, was frequently employed by the Government in the capacity of interpreter. In November, 1675, shortly after the breaking out of the Narragansett War, Connecticut sent into the field 800 English soldiers and 150 Mohegan and Pequot warriors, under the command of five Captains, one of whom was John Gallup of Stonington. In the "Great Swamp fight," December 19, 1675, Captain Gallup commanded a company of Mohegans, and, together with nearly one-third of his warriors, fell on that bloody field.

William Gallup, first abovementioned, was an original member of The Susquehanna Company (see page 249), and first came to Wyoming in May, 1769, with the company of settlers led by Major Durkee. After the surrender of Fort Durkee he went back to Groton where his family still resided, and, so far as existing records indicate, did not return to Wyoming until June, 1772. At that time, and earlier, he was designated as "Captain" Gallup. In 1772 he settled in Kingston Township, and thither, in 1778 or '74, he brought his family from Connecticut. He and his elder son took part in the battle of July 3, 1778-the other members of his family being among the inmates of Forty Fort. After the surrender of the fort the family set out for Connecticut, and there they remained until after 1781-probably until 1785-when they returned to Kingston. Capt. William Gallup was married June 9, 1752, to Judith Reed (born April 6, 1788) of Norwich, Connecticut. Captain Gallup died at Kingston, April 4, 1808, and his widow Judith died there January 1, 1815. Their remains were buried in the "Gallup burial-ground", a small plot of ground still known by that name, lying near the Lackawanna Railroad station in the borough of Kingston, but which, for some years now, has been used as a sort of dumping-ground for garbage.

The children of Capt. William and Judith (Reed) Gallup were: (i) Lydia, b. February 14, 1754; (ii) Hallet, b. January 1, 1756, md. to Mary (b. 1759 and d. October 6, 1804), daughter of Ichabod Bartlett, and d. at Kingston October 5, 1804; (iii) Zurviah (b. January 4, 1758, and d. May 18, 1840), md., as his second wife, to Benjamin Smith (b. in 1759 and d. in Kingston January 19, 1816), son of Timothy Smith and grandson of John Smith, mentioned in the note on page 410; (iv) Lucy, b. February 7, 1760, md. (Ist) to Nathaniel Gates (b. March 4, 1756, and d. November 7, 1793), md. (2d) to Aaron Dean, as his second wife, and died at Kingston November 30, 1821 ; (v) Esther, b. about 1762, md. to Christian G. Ochmig (who md. to Freelove - was a resident of Wilkes-Barre as early as 1787), and settled in Kingston ; (vi) William, b. in 1769 or '70, and d. at Kingston March 18, 1807, survived by his wife (who died at Plymouth, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1835) and the following-named children (who were baptized at Wilkes-Barre December 20, 1807, by the Rev. Ard Hoyt): William (b. Wilkes-Barre February 2, 1785, and d. at Tiffin City, Ohio, January 17, 1758), Hallet, James Devine and Caleb Hathaway ; (vii) Mary, twin sister of (vi) William ; (viii) Sarah, b. March 4, 1772, md. (Ist) to Peter Grubb (b. 1754 and d. at Kingston January 23, 1807), md. (2d), May 29, 1809, as his second wife, to Agur Hoyt, then of Kingston, Pennsylvania, but formerly of Daubury, Connecticut, and who died at Norwalk, Ohio. November 30, 1836, being survived by his wife and one son (by his wife Sarah)-William Reed Hoyt, b. November 6, 1814; (ix) Hannah, twin sister of (viii) Sarah, md. (Ist) Israel Skeer, md. (2d) Aseph Jones, and d. at Kingston February 2, 1864- being at the time of her death the oldest resident of Wyoming Valley.

| Born at Plainfield, Connecticut, December 18, 1708, and died at Voluntown, Connecticut, in August or September, 1772. See note on page 410, Vol. I.

* In "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, IV : 353, the abovementioned names, with the exception of that of Christopher Avery, are given as those of the men who were to remain in the fort. However, in the collections of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society there is an original account against The Susquehanna Company rendered about 1770 by Christopher Avery for services performed by him for the Company in 1769. One item of the account reads as follows : "To twenty days spent at the fort when the Pennamites took it by force-in order to save the papers belonging to this Company."

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lation, began an indiscriminate plundering of whatever could be found in the settlement, and cattle, horses and swine were driven off to markets on the Delaware .* The fourteen Yankees at Fort Durkee, left without means to sustain themselves, were soon compelled to follow their exiled companions to their former homes in Connecticut, New York and else- where, and the valley of Wyoming was in consequence left in the absolute occupancy and control of the Pennamites.

Various accounts of the happenings in Wyoming in November, 1769, have been written by different persons in the past, but heretofore have never been incorporated in any of the printed histories of the val- ley. The present writer has collected a number of those accounts, and some of them are herewith presented-chiefly for the purpose of show-

write upwall for the word behavior of the monkees billy his each pachy commenting that Middleware any this how howwill beral Hada or dastard by comes in effects of the other But on the cas kang it is the

Jag harly and Coach and rowy of Man will fachly aby here Hojethe Royal Order and play Blan ched

I heard nis putinily bond thirsttous and by waytic of long and water And als in the ahmet when of

Jak Jimings

FORT DURKEE ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION. Photo-reproduction of the final paragraph and the signatures. (See page 628.)

ing how divergent and dissimilar various contemporary accounts of the samne events may sometimes happen to be. The first account here given is now printed for the first time. It is from an affidavit made October 9, 1782, by Capt. William Gallup (mentioned on page 629) before William Williams, Esq. (see page 283), then a Justice of the Peace in Lebanon, Connecticut. The original affidavit is now among the "Trum- bull Papers," mentioned on page 29, and at the end of the document

* See Miner's "Wyoming," page 112, Chapman's "Wyoming," page 80, and Stone's "Poetry and History of Wyoming," page 166.

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appear, in the handwriting of Justice Williams, these unusual words : "N. B. The deponent is a person of undoubted veracity. [Signed] W. Williams, Just. P." The deponent states that :

"He, with a number of other settlers, some time in the month of May, 1769, arrived on the said lands and there continued unmolested until some time in the month of Novem- ber following, when he and the rest of the Connecticut settlers was attacked by a body of armed men from Pennsilvania, to the number of about 200, with one piece of cannon, under the command of one Captain Ogden and Mr. Charles Stewart-as they said-who attacked our garrison and commanded us to resign up the same to them, or the con- sequence would be that they would destroy the fort and treat us as rioters. Their party being at that time superior in number to ours, we were constrained to surrender to their terms. He [Gallup], with the rest of the Connecticut settlers, returned home."

Parshall Terry, in his affidavit mentioned on page 403, after refer- ring to the surrender of Fort Durkee on November 14, 1769, states :

"The rest of the settlers were dispersed, except about fourteen, who were permitted to tarry on the ground to take care of our cattle, horses and other effects, which in the Agreement were to be restored to us. However, to the best of this deponent's knowledge, neither the deponent nor any of the Connecticut settlers had any of their property restored to them (or any compensation therefor) except a small number of cattle, which the settlers found on their returning to the ground the next Spring following. The property aforesaid was destroyed and taken off, as it was said, by the Ogdens and their party."

In The New York Journal of December 7, 1769, there was printed the following letter from New London, Connecticut, under the date of November 7, 1769.

"By Mr. Smith* of Voluntown, late from Susquehannah, we are informed that about three weeks past there came about thirty men out of Pennsylvania to assist Stewart and his gang in dispossessing the New England settlers ; and a number of them-as they judged, about thirty-attacked our people with clubs, tomahawks, &c., and several were knocked down and much hurt on both sides, but finally our people beat them off without the loss of any lives on our side.t Mr. Smith further saith that our antagonists brought with them one piece of cannon, set a centry over it lest our people should take it from them, gave the centry strict charge not to let any come near, but to bid them stand ; and if they did not, to fire them down. One Nathan Ogden, of the Stewart party, having a mind one night to try the fidelity of their centry, approached so nigh that the centry bid him stand ; but he not regarding, the centryman fired. One bullet went through Ogden's body, one buckshot lodged against the skin of his back, and one buckshot went in about the centre of his belly and the doctor saith it is not likely he will recover. Mr. Smith further informs that they immediately, upon shooting Ogden, sent their cannon back to Shamokin,{ as not having any further use for it there; and that the whole gang were gone but about sixteen. Mr. Smith also informs that our people have got a handsome reward for the wheat which was feloniously taken from them at Shamokin. §

In The Pennsylvania Gazette (Philadelphia) of December 21, 1769, the following communication was printed.

"In The New York Journal of December 7 there is inserted an account of some occurrences at Wyoming, upon Susquehanna, as it is there said by information of one Smith of Voluntown, Connecticut, who lately came from thence. Being desirous that the world should not be imposed upon by so base and false an account, I beg leave to acquaint you that the very reverse of what is there asserted is the truth. The fact stands thus : A number of deluded people (for some such, at least, I would in charity suppose there are among them) came armed in a hostile manner into this Province, from the Colony of Connecticut, and have, within this last year, assembled at Wyoming and for- cibly seated themselves on the lands lately purchased by our Proprietaries of the Indians, nearly in the centre of this Province, to the terror of our inhabitants ; from which they have been twice removed by the civil authority, and some of them fined, after a trial by the country, in small sums, considering the atrociousness of their doings-some few of which paid their fines, and others broke the County gaol and escaped.

"Since the time of their second removal near 200 miscreants, composed of the dregs of the Colony of Connecticut, Pendergrass' gang of rioters from New York Government, and horse-stealers, debtors and other runaways from the different Governments, came

* JOHN SMITH, Esq., who, about the last of October, 1769, had returned to Connecticut to attend the meeting of The Susquehanna Company held at Hartford on November 8th-as noted on page 625. He came back to Wyoming just in time to assist in arranging for the capitulation of Fort Durkee.

t The skirmish of September 22d (described on pages 518 and 514, Vol. I) is here referred to.

{ This is an error, as the cannon was used to enforce the surrender of Fort Durkee-as previously described-and was kept at Wyoming thereafter. It is referred to again in subsequent pages. It is quite probable, also, that the account of the shooting of Nathan Ogden by a Pennamite sentry is erroneous.

§ See first paragraph, page 514, Vol. I.

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likewise armed into this Province, and built a large fort, or block-house, at Wyoming, and fortified it with swivels and wall-pieces, &c .; since which they have been guilty of many disorderly and wicked practices-such as taking the neighboring people (settled under the authority of this Government) into their fort, whipping one of them, terrifying and threatening others violently, and disseizing them of their farms. In doing one of which acts apprehending they should meet with some resistance-they came to the number of sixty armed with tomahawks, axes and other instruments of violence, in order to take possession of some land in the tenure of Captain Ogden, who called about twenty-five of his neighbors to his assistauce, to enable him to defend his property, who were presently attacked by this lawless gang of fierce warriors, and five or six of them much wounded ; but the rioters were, however, presently worsted by Captain Ogden's people, who had provided themselves with some oaken sticks for their defense, and made them soon run away to their fort-their Captain, one Parks, leading the way. Some of them, it is true, got broken heads from the hard knocks they received in the affray. After the affray was over sundry of their tomahawks and above twenty of their axes remained on the field of battle .* Major Durkee, who takes upon him the command of the fort, was so angry at his soldiers' and their Captain's cowardice-who were chased up to the gates of their fortress by a handful of men-that for some time he refused to admit them, calling them a parcel of poltroons and cowards.

"These disorderly practices obliged the magistrates again to send up the High Sheriff, with a number of men-about half as many as were in the fort-to apprehend those rioters ; at whose appearance those valiant people were so intimidated that, after they were summoned to surrender, and a quarter of an hour given them for the purpose, they agreed-many of them with tears in their eyes-to deliver up the fort upon condi- tion that fourteen of their number, only, with their women and children, should remain there to take care of the cattle, household goods and other necessaries belonging to them. Accordingly about five or six rooms of their large building (being 150 feet long) were as- signed them for that purpose, and the other part [of the fort was] put into the possession of the Sheriff ; and the rest [of the Yankees], being about 180, were suffered to depart, upon their promise not to return. They likewise agreed that those who were left should not commit any further waste, and only cut wood enough for their firing ; and should not receive more than five persons within their rooms, nor let them stay longer than three days, nor even entertain them for that time till they had given their names to the magis- trates [Charles Stewart and Amos Ogden] residing there.

"The season of the year, and the difficulty of conveying such a number of prisoners near sixty miles through the woods [to Easton], together with compassion for the poor creatures-who would have been, of course, confined in gaol, and put to great expense- induced the two magistrates and the Sheriff to release them on the above mild terms. * * Yours, &c., [Signed] "A. B."

It is quite probable that the foregoing letter was written by Charles Stewart, Esq., as he was in Philadelphia in the latter part of December, 1769. In The New York Journal of December 28, 1769, there was printed the following letter, dated at Providence, Rhode Island, Decem- ber 16th.

"By a gentleman from Windham, [Connecticut, ] we learn that several of the New England adventurers have lately returned from the Susquehanna. Major Durgee, their leader, in going from the block-house to view some mills that were erecting, was waylaid and seized by a number of armed men from Pennsylvania, who conducted him to Easton.t They afterwards surrounded the block-house and demanded a conference with some of the principal settlers, who accordingly went without the gate for that purpose. The Pennsylvanians, availing themselves of this opportunity, marched into the block-house, when it was agreed that an equal number of each party should remain there till Spring, or until the controverted right of the lands shall be determined."

Agreeably to previous notice a meeting of The Susquehanna Com- pany was held at Windham December 6, 1769, with Col. Eliphalet Dyer acting as Moderator. The principal business transacted was as follows :

"Voted, That Samuel Gray and Maj. John Durkee be appointed to take proper evidence or affidavits of the proceedings of the Court at Easton, [Pennsylvania, ] at the last trial ; also of the attack and robbery of our people near Fort Augusta, and of the insults and attacks on our settlers at Wyoming, and their conduct during the Summer past ; and the treaty and declaration of the Indians.

"Voted, That monies be collected and delivered to Major Durkee in order to pay, defend and defray the expenses at Easton." * * *

* This is another account of the skirmish of September 22d.

t This, of course, is an error, as Major Durkee was taken to Philadelphia.

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Major Durkee was present at this meeting, having come from Philadelphia to his home in Norwich only a few days before the meet- ing was held. He had been detained in the jail at Philadelphia some ten or twelve days before his friends were able to procure bail for him and bring about his release. One Joseph Jacobs of Philadelphia was finally induced to enter bail for Major Durkee's appearance at the next term of the Northampton County Court, at Easton, and on the 28th of December the Executive, or Standing, Committee of The Susquehanna Company resolved that said Jacobs "should be entitled to one whole share in ye Susquehanna Purchase for ye consideration" of bailing Major Durkee .*

The reference to "the treaty and declaration of the Indians," in the minutes of the December meeting, aforementioned, is explained by a paragraph in the original draft of an unpublished lettert from Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, of Connecticut, to Richard Jackson, Esq. (men- tioned on pages 417 and 441), written at Lebanon, Connecticut, Decem- ber 13, 1769. The Governor, after giving a brief account of the Con- necticut Charter and the claims under it, wrote as follows :

"You are fully informed of our claim that the lands on the Susquehanna River are within the limits of the grant made by the Council of Plymouth to the Earl of Warwick. * * That The Susquehanna Company purchased the lands on that river of the Indians who claimed them. * * The Indians acknowledge their sale, and say that the Com- pany from Connecticut ought to enjoy the land. They lately sent one of their notable warriors, with his attendants, a long journey from the Seneca country to welcome the men who went hence to make improvements there the last Summer, and present them a belt [of wampum] deciphering each of the Six Tribes, or Nations, to express their cove- nant of union and friendship.'

At the time of the capitulation and evacuation of Fort Durkee Sheriff Jennings and his assistants obtained the names of a number of those who just previously had been, or were then, inmates of the fort. Those names-some of them, evidently, crippled and disguised by their bad spelling-are contained in an original unpublished document now in the collections of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It is en- dorsed "Warrant sur Process forcible entry and detainer, sur Indictment, issued out of the County Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at Easton, in Northampton County, Pennsylvania ;" it is dated "December 21st, in the tenth year of the reign of George III" [1769]; is signed by George Taylor, Judge, and Lewis Gordon, Clerk ; is made returnable March 20, 1770, and directs the Sheriff of Northampton County "to take, and convey before said Court," &c., the following named persons-eighty-nine in number : Benjamin Shoemaker, John McDowel, Samuel Weyburn [or Wibron, or Wybrant], John Lee, Stephen Lee, Noah Lee, Joseph Lee, Daniel Hain [or Haines], John McDowel, Jr., Benjamin Shoemaker, Jr., Daniel Shoemaker, Jr., Asher Harrod, William Leonard, Jesse Leonard, Elijah Holloway, Thomas Bennet, Samuel Marvin, Reuben Hurlbut, Benjamin Follett, William Comstock, Samuel Clark, Ephraim Buck, William Wickham, William Stobbs [or Stubbs], Parshall. Terry, Benjamin Baker, Samuel Dyer Hull, Caleb White, John Dorrance, Zebulon Hoxsie [or Hawksey], Daniel Van Etten, Thomas Sutt [or Sutton], Jacob Shear, David Mar-

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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 2

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