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 23
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).
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Stephens, John
Willcox, Elisha
Smith, Cha! - 6th. Staples, John-6th.
Webb, Reuben
Stubbs, Sam'1-8th.
Williams, John
.
Warner, William-6th.
Walworth, Thos -6th.
Weeks, Thos -10th
Stewart, Capt. Lazarus-22d. Smith, John-Esq. Stewart, Lazarus-Jr .- 22d.
Terry, Parshall-Jr.
-11th. Home 14th.
Stewart, William
Taylor, Matthew
Weeks, Jesse-14th.
Stewart, James-22d.
Tripp, Isaac-Esq .- 27th.
Williams, John-Jr.
Smith, Timothy
Thomson, John-12th.
-27th to be out 3 weeks.
Sawyer, John
Underwood, Isaac
Stowell, Jonathan
Utter, Moses-11th.
Yale, Enos Young, William"
At a meeting of "proprietors and settlers legally warned and held at Fort Wilksbarre June 1, 1772, Captain Butler was chosen Moderator for ye work of ye day. Voted, That those proprietors and settlers that live on ye West side the River shall do all the duties on that side ye river ; and all those that live on ye East side of ye river shall do ye duties on ye East side of ye River-as guarding and scouting at present, &c."
Numerous references are made in the preceding pages to the Mora- vian Indian towns Friedenshütten (near the site of which the modern vil- lage of Wyalusing is located) and Schechschiquanink, or Sheshequin (on the site of which the village of Ulster now stands), both being within the bounds of the Susquehanna Purchase and within the present limits of Bradford County, Pennsylvania. In September, 1771, David Zeis- berger (see page 220, Vol. I) came from the Ohio to Friedenshütten and brought the Indians there and at Sheshequin an invitation to settle in the Ohio region. This was accepted by these Christian Indians, who had been experiencing considerable uneasiness and uncertainty, with re- spect to their tenure of the lands they occupied, ever since the treaty at Fort Stanwix and the sale by the chiefs of the Six Nations to the Pro- prietaries of Pennsylvania of the territory lying along the North Branch of the Susquehanna. Early in June, 1772, preparations were made by the missionaries and the Indians at Friedenshütten and Sheshequin for an exodus to the Ohio, and Thursday, June 11th, was fixed upon as the day of departure. They went in two parties one, consisting of fifty-four Indians led by Bishop John Ettwein, going overland ; and the other, consisting of 140 Indians led by missionary John Rothe, going down the Susquehanna in canoes. The chapel and other buildings at Friedens- hütten were boarded and nailed up, and left in charge of Job Chillaway (previously mentioned) and his wife. The bell was taken down from the turret of the chapel and placed in the bow of one of the canoes, and at two o'clock in the afternoon of June 11th John Rothe and his wife set out in their canoe, followed by thirty other canoes containing the 140 Indians and their belongings. The voyagers were divided in five divis-
* On page 1,818 of "The Town Book of Wilkes Barre" the following receipt is recorded : "H'ilksbarry, in Connecticutl June 30th, 1772. Then received of OLIVER SPAULDING. late of Woodberry, now at Wilks- barry, 42 dollars for one Right. * * [Signed] "JOHN JENKINS, Comtee."
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Parke, William-Jr .- 12th. Pettebone, Noah-Jr. Pettebone, Noah-20th. Pensil, John Roberts, Elias Read, Robert
Slater, Sam'l St. John, Daniel Seeley. Michael-20th. Stark, Christopher-5th.
West, Eleazar
Willcox, Eason
- Reynolds, Christopher Roberson, Thomas-22d. Reynolds, William-6th. Roberson, Ashbel-7th. Ross, Daniel-12th. Stoddard, Thomas-24th.
Strickling, Ebenezer -11th. Home 14th.
White, John
Sprague, Dr. Joseph-14th. Tuttle, Joshua Terry, Parshall
Weeks, Barthol -10th
Tiffany, Nathan-D. May 9. Wheeler, Ephraim
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ions, each of which was placed in charge of a captain. The first canoe of the fleet carried the bell, which was tolled until the boats had rounded the mountain a mile and a-half below the deserted village. In his journal of this voyage John Rothe wrote :
"We advanced the first day but eight miles, by reason of a heavy rain. During the 12th, because of the high wind, the canoes rocked roughly in the water. On the 13th [Saturday] the wind was still contrary, causing high waves in the river. At noon we passed Lechawachnek .* As we passed the Fort we saw it lined with spectators, and a man playing on a violin. We encamped on the stony beach of the river, and were dis- turbed at night by some drunken fellows. On Sunday the 14th, after we had passed the [Nanticoke] falls below Wyomik, I held preaching. We then paddled on, and on the 15th reached Nescopeck."
The fort referred to by Rothe was undoubtedly Fort Wyoming at Wilkes-Barre, and not the block-house at Mill Creek. The latter struc- ture was situated some distance back from the wooded bank of the river, while the former stood on the bank, near its edge, in full and unob- structed view from the river.
At Philadelphia, under date of June 22, 1772, Gov. Richard Penn of Pennsylvania issued a proclamation against the "Connecticut in- truders." It was printed by D. Hill in the form of a broadside, and was distributed throughout the settled parts of the counties of Northampton and Northumberland. An original copy of this broadside is now in the possession of Mr. James Terry of New Haven, Connecticut (mentioned on page 30, Vol. I), and it reads, in part, as follows :
"WHEREAS, I have received information that the Connecticut intruders-who have so often disturbed the peace of this Government-not content with having, in the most violent and hostile manner, dispossessed a number of people lawfully settled at Wyoming under the Honorable Proprietaries of this Province, have lately extended their unlawful possessions to the lands at Shohola and Lechawaxin, t and other parts within this Province, where they are now building forts and places of defence and making warlike preparations to support themselves in their possessions unlawfully obtained ;
"AND WHEREAS, divers people belonging to the said Colony have also at different times endeavored to persuade and inveigle many of the inhabitants of this and the neigh- boring Provinces to confederate and join with them in such their illegal designs, and to assist in settling and holding the said lands by a strong hand ;
"WHEREFORE, as well to assert the just rights of the Proprietaries of the said lands, as to warn and prevent any of the inhabitants of this Province from being unwarily drawn in to join the said intruders in prosecuting their illegal settlements, I have judged it pro- per, by and with the advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, hereby strictly en- joining and requiring, in His Majesty's name, all and every person and persons already settled or residing on the said lands at Wyoming, Shoholy and Lechawaxin, and other parts of the Susquehanna and Delaware, without the license of the Proprietaries, or authority of this Government, immediately to evacuate their settlements and to depart and remove themselves off and from the said lands without delay. And I do hereby for- bid all His Majesty's subjects, of this or any other Province or Colony, on any pretence whatsoever, to intrude upon, settle or possess any of the aforesaid lands, or any other lands within the limits of this Province, without the express permission of the Proprie- taries or this Government, as they will answer the contrary at their peril, and on pain of being prosecuted with the utmost rigour of the Law." * * *
In The Connecticut Courant, at Hartford, June 23, 1772, and in other newspapers about that time, the following advertisement was printed :
"SUSQUEHANNAH."
"WHEREAS it is reported in several Provinces on the Continent, that the New Eng- land company of settlers at Wyoming, on Susquehannah River, receive & harbour thieves, robbers and money-makers, ; that have made their escape from Justice ; also servants that have run away from their masters-These are therefore to certify all whom it may con- cern, that the above reports are false, but on the contrary that we will give our assistance
* The mouth of Lackawanna River.
t Within the limits of the present Pike County, Pennsylvania. See the "Map of a Part of Pennsyl- vania," farther on in this chapter.
* See page 781, paragraph 3.
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in helping to stop, secure and return all such offenders, that they may be brought to justice, whenever we have knowledge of them, either by advertisement or otherwise. "June 11, 1778. [Signed]
"ZEBULON BUTLER, - Committee of "EZEKIEL PEIRCE, Settlers at "STEPHEN FULLER, Wyoming."
"OBADIAH GORE, JR.,
The following is a copy of the original minutes* (in the handwriting of Maj. Ezekiel Peirce, Clerk) of a town-meeting held at Fort Wyoming. "Att a meeting of the Propriators and setlers Legally warned and Held In wilks- barry June 29th 1772-
"Cap! Zebulon Butler was chosen Moderator for the work of ye Day.
"Voted-That Each of ye Propriators & setlers Belonging to ye township Kings- town shall by themselves or some meet Persons by them Provided within 30 Days be at their Equal Proportionable Parts of Building a sufficient Fortifycation for their Defence & Remove themselves Into ye same in order for ye Defence of themselves and ye Rest of
Att a meeting of the Drugiators and others Legally work on Het die with borry gere 29 172 Laget Zebulare Butter was Chojon Moderator for 0 the work of of Ary
Voto - That Youholy Rooperators & Jolies Belonging to go township Kingstown shall by them places or fine med Derfors by theme corrida within 30 Days be at their Squat Proportionable Roots of B. Ding a life - cont hartification for their Deforme of homone them solves quito of fame .in order for of Africa of the Blues a fost of & olives and this now or Trowfitt their filling Right any town of luck ,they faire on penalty of this meeting stoll jas comporte julliet legend lening 12 to the Nature and ogrenation of there offenceett also Kop up Such a watch and Goven as Shall from time to time be thought Properly a . los? I am sollers on this
Photo-reproduction of a part of page 1,308 of "The Town Book of Wilkes Barre."
ye setlers on this Land or Forfitt their setling Right in sd town or such other sum or Penalty as this meeting shall see cause to Inflict, Regard being Had to the Nature and agrevation of there offence. & also keep up such a watch and Gaurd as shall from time to time be thought Proper by ye Comtee and setlers on this Land.
"Voted-That each of the Propriators & setlers belonging to township of Plymouth shall by themselves &c. within 40 Days be at their Equal Proportionable Parts of build- ing a sufficient Fortifycation for their Defence & Remove themselves Into ye same, &c. [as in the case of Kingstown].
"Voted-That this meeting is adjourned until to-morrow morning at six o'clock in ye forenoon at this place."
The business transacted at the town-meeting held June 30, 1772, pursuant to adjournment, is shown by the original minutes, herewith re- printed in part-the spelling of many of the words in the original not being adhered to, however.
*See page 1,308 of "The Town Book of Wilkes Barre."
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"Voted and Determined, That whenever any contention shall Happen between any two of this communety about the Property of any Goods, Cattle or any other thing as In- sulting, Slandering, abuseing, cheeting or in any way to Injure his Neighbour, or by swareing, cursing or stealing shall Brake the Law ; that ye Meathod of setling ye same for ye Futer shall be by ye Determination of 3 Juditious freeholders-two appointed by ye two Contending parties & the other by the Comtee of Setlers. And that such Freeholders when met shall have Power to Determin all Reasonable fines and Demands Pursuant to ye Laws of this Coloney and their Best Judgment.
"Whereas there is and may be many Disorders committed by ye Retailing of spirituous Lickquor in small Quanteties Both to ye setlers Now on ye Land, also strangers and Trantiant Persons coming into this place & Companey, also to ye Indians Natives- which Disorders to prevent it is Now Voted, That there shall be but one Publick house to Retail speriteous Lickquors in small Quanteties in Each of ye first five towns ; and that Each Person for ye Purpose of Retailing as aforesd shall be appointed by the Comtee of each Respective town in which they Live or to which they Belong ; and that they and Each of them shall be under the Direction of sd. Comtee by whom they are appointed, Not Repugnant to ye Laws of the Coloney of Connecticutt ; and that such Retailers that shall not Duly observe such Directions and Restrictions as they shall severally receive from sd Comtee shall on complaint made to this Companey suffer such Pains and Pennalties as this Companey shall see cause to Inflict-Not exceeding his or their setling Right. Regard being Had to ye Nature & agrevation of ye offence.
"Voted, also, that if any other Person or Persons whatsoever shall Presume to Re- tail any such Sperituous Licquours as abovesd without ye Liberty first had and obtained as aforesd they shall be Lyable to suffer ye same pains & Penalties as aforesd; and that sd Comtee shall take ye oversite of ye same and make complaint thereof to this Company. "Voted, That this Company shall at ye cost and charge of this Company as soon as may be send out to ye Nearest County town in ye Coloney of Connecticutt, or to sum other of ye Neighbouring Coloneys, and Procure a sealed Half Bushel & a peck measure and one Gallon pot, Quart pott, point pot, Half point & Gill measures for a standard & Rule for this Company to by and sell by &c .; and for ye Comitee to procure them as soon as may be ; and also sutable weights as ye Law Prescribes, &c.
"Whereas James Foresides Being a Propriator and setler on ye Susqh Purchase, and by his unfaithfulness Has Forfited His setling Right-voted by this Compy that John McDole* shall be Intitled to sd Right on account of paying a sum of money for sd Fore- sides, as McDole was Bondsman for sd Foresides-Provided ye sd McDole settles sd Right in a Reasonable time.
"Voted, That Mr. Christopher Avery have pay for his ox killed by this Companey in January, 1771, & that Captain Butler, this Company's Treasurer, pay sd Avery out of this Companey's money, &c."
Among the collections of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society is an original "List of Settlers at Wyoming in June, 1772," pre- pared at that time by the Committee of Settlers. In that list are the following names which do not appear in the list for May, reprinted on page 732.
Avery, Christopher-18th. Jenkins, John-16th.
Stephens, Benjamin
Blackman, Elisha
Johnson, Solomon-18th.
Upson, Asa
Baker, Coonrod-30th.
Baker, Coonrod-Jr .- 28th.
Moss, [or Morse], Joseph -18th.
Terry, Jonathan-27th. Verner, Jacob
Fish, Jabez
Murphy, John-30tl1.
-D. D. July 4th.
Harrington, Peter
Perkins, John-Jr.
Wintermute, Philip-27th.
Hopkins, Gardner-26th.
Phillips, Nicholas
Williams, William-8th.
Harvey, Elisha-25th.
Parke, Isaiah
Wart, John-17th.
Harding, Abraham-20th. Out 26th for six weeks.
Rose, Timothy-6th.
Young, David
Slocum, Joseph
Young, Robert Young, John
Hopkins, Timothy -- Jr .- 20th.
Malry, N. Jonathan Home 26th for six weeks.
Tracy, Solomon-20th.
Dougherty, John-24th.
Dole, Hendrick-30th.
Marvin, Seth-25tlı.
In the latter part of May, 1772, the situation of affairs in Wyoming Valley being deemed satisfactory by the Committee of Settlers, as well as by the Standing Committee of The Susquehanna Company, it was decided to take steps to lay out and settle a township at or near the mouth of Muncy Creek on the West Branch of the Susquehanna (with- in the present limits of Lycoming County), in accordance with the reso- lution of The Susquehanna Company adopted at its meeting held April 1, 1772. (See page 726.) Therefore a company of five or six New * John McDowel of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, mentioned on page 730.
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Englanders-an advance party-proceeded from Wilkes-Barre down the Susquehanna to Sunbury, intending to journey thence up the West Branch to the designated locality. The object of their journey becom- ing known to the authorities of Northumberland County at Sunbury, the latter proceeded, by force, to prevent the New Englanders from con- tinuing their journey. In the melee which ensued Crocker Jones of Wilkes-Barre was severely wounded, taken prisoner and conveyed to Fort Augusta, where, after a hearing before Justices William Maclay and Samuel Hunter, he was committed to the jail at Carlisle, in Cum- berland County (Northumberland not being provided with a jail then), to appear and answer at the next term of the Northumberland Court of Quarter Sessions .*
Another member of this advance party of Yankees was the Rev. Benajah Roots, who was taken prisoner and detained at Fort Augusta. The others of the party eluded the authorities and returned to Wilkes- Barré. Thereupon a company of some twenty or thirty prospective set- tlers was organized, and about the middle of June they set out for the West Branch. John Blair Linn, in his "Annals of Buffalo Valley" pub- lished a number of years ago, says (page 45):
"It appears that in June, 1772, a large band of armed men from Connecticut ap- peared on the West Branch to dispossess [?] the inhabitants, and were prevented. * * John Scott of Northumberland County deposed that June 15, 1772, William Speddyt met him and companions from Bucks County, near Buffalo Creek [in what was then North- umberland, and is now Union, County]; * * he said he supposed they were travelers and looking for lands to buy. He desired them to be careful how they purchased of Penn, unless they had likewise New England rights. * * He [Speddy] owned that he stood by and saw [Lazarus] Stewart shoot [Nathan] Ogden, t and justified the action."
By order of the Northumberland County Court early in July, 1772, the posse comitatus was raised, and, proceeding up the West Branch to the tract of land occupied by Marcus Huling (see page 666), dispersed the Yankees who were collected there. § About the same time Col. Elizur Talcott (whose name is frequently mentioned in the preceding pages) and Noah Phelps (see page 480) of Connecticut, || accompanied
* In the year 1790 Robert King of Northumberland County presented an account against the Com- monwealth of Pennsylvania, reading in part as follows (see "Pennsylvania Archives," Second Series, XVIII : 697): "1778-June 6. To taking Crook [Crocker] Jones, an inhabitant of Wyoming (he being a prisoner). from Fort Augusta to the Goal of Carlisle (distant 78 miles), by order of Samuel Hunter and William Maclay, Esquires; to cash pd. for hand-cuffs ; to cash pd. the prisoner's expenses three days on the road ; to cash pd. my own and prisoner's expenses two days in Carlisle before the jailor would receive him, on account of a fracture in his scull, which he received at his being taken-the Doc's bill included. [Total] £2, 156. 10d."
Jones was released from jail (see the following page), and returned to Wilkes-Barre July 26, 1772 (as noted on page 782). November 29, 1778, Seth Marvin of Wilkes-Barre conveyed to Crocker Jones of Wilkes- Barre, for £100, one settling right in Plymouth which Marvin had purchased from Samuel Holden Parsons of Lyme, Connecticut, and which consisted of House Lot No. 5, one-half of Meadow Lot No. 5 and one- half of Meadow Lot No. 8. January 6, 1778, Crocker Jones conveyed to Silas Harvey "all title and interest to ye improvements that have been done by me [Jones] on a certain tract of sixty acres, with two log houses, on the East side of Susquehanna River, opposite ye mouth of Shickshinny Creek ; it being land that Samuel Gordon surveyed to ye said Silas Harvey."
t This was WILLIAM SPEEDY, mentioned on pages 676 and 717. Mr. Linn spells his surname "Speddy," as shown in the extract given above and in the one in this note ; but in all the original records of The Susquehanna Company, and in the Philadelphia newspapers giving an account of his trial at Philadel- phia, and in other publications of early days, his name is spelled "Speedy." Mr. Linn says : "Speddy was the pioneer of New England civilization in Buffalo Valley. He chose for his residence a little dale on Turtle Creek. In December, 1776, he volunteered in Capt. John Clarke's company of Northumberland County, and served during the campaign of Trenton and Princeton." In 1778 he resided on the tract of land mentioned above. About 1785 he removed to Lost Creek Valley, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, and died at a place called Speddy's Gap, near McAllisterville. He had, says Mr. Linn, a son named William Speddy, Jr., and the latter's grandson, J. W. Speddy, lived at Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, in 1877.
t See page 679.
¿ In 1790 Robert King of Northumberland County, previously mentioned, rendered an account against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, reading in part as follows (see "Pennsylvania Archives," Second Series, XVIII : 688): "1778-July 3. To myself and horse five days, vis : from 3d to 7th, both days in- cluded. collecting the inhabitants of Northumberland County in order to apprehend a party from Wyo- ming (then Assembled at Marcus Huling's on the West Branch of Susquehanna River), by order of Doc. William Plunket, Esq .- £1, 17s. 6d."
| It seems that Colonel Talcott and Mr. Phelps had come to Wyoming for the purpose of locating and laying out a township for a company of shareholders in The Susquehanna Company whose agents they were. At Glastonbury, Connecticut, under date of September 25, 1772, Colonel Talcott wrote to Samuel Gray, Esq., Clerk of The Susquehanna Company, in part as follows (see the original letter now in the
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by John Hutchins of Wyoming (see his name in the list of settlers on page 741), arrived at Sunbury, where they duly executed bonds, or recognizances, for the release from custody of Crocker Jones and the Rev. Benajah Roots, and for their appearance at the next term of Court. The original recognizance executed for Mr. Roots is now in the posses- sion of Mr. James Terry of New Haven, Connecticut (see page 30), and by his courtesy a verbatim copy of it is here printed for the first time, as follows :
"Northumberland County, ss :
"Be it remembered that on the Sixth Day of July Anno Dom. 1772, Before WILLIAM PLUNKET, Esquire, One of his Majesties Justices for the County aforesaid personally ap- peared The Revd Benajah Roots, Col. Elizur Talcott, Noah Phelps and John Hutchins, and acknowledged to owe to our Soverign Lord the King, that is to say The Revd BENAJAH ROOTS in One Thousand Pounds, Col. ELIZUR TALCOTT in Five Hundred Pounds,
NOAH PHELPS in Five Hundred Pounds, JOHN HUTCHINS in Five Hundred Pounds,
Money of Pennsylvania of their goods and Chattels, Lands and Tenements to be levyed, Subject to the following Conditions. That the above named BENAJAH ROOTS Shall im- mediately evacuate depart from and intirely remove out of any Settlement he has or may have made for him in any part of the Province of Pennsylvania aforesaid as granted by Charter, without the leave or lycence of the Proprietors of said Province, and that he will not associate with or join himself unto the people called Connecticut Intruders nor Aid, Assist or Abet them, nor shall he molest or disturb in their Settlements any people settled under Pennsylvania, nor shall he allure, Inveigle or persuade any of the Inhabitants of this Province to join with them or attempt to do it ; nor shall he attempt to Survey, mark or lay out any Lots of Land or Townships within the said Province unless by the leave of the Surveyor General of said Province. And shall in the mean while behave himself orderly and Soberly, towards all his Majesties Subjects in General, and be and appear at the next Court of Quarter-Sessions at Fort Augusta the Fourth Tuesday in August next, then and there to answer, &c. [Signed] "BENAJAH ROOTS,
"Acknowledged & subscribed Before WM PLUNKET.
"JOHN HUTCHINS,
"ELIZUR TALCOTT,
"NOAH PHELPS."
Who the Rev. Benajah Roots was, whence he came, or whither he went after his experience with the Pennamites at Fort Augusta, we have been unable to learn.
Shortly after the occurrence of the incident just narrated the Wyo- ming settlements were visited by another minister of the gospel-the Rev. Noah Wadhams, * A. M., of New Preston, Litchfield County, Con-
possession of Mr. James Terry, mentioned above): "The proprietors of the town that I made a pitch for meet at Wethersfield this week to consult what is best to be done in our Susquehanna affair. * * Some think it best to agree with Governor Penn, or to call help from New York, as they say they offer to defend us. But this must be the last shift for us to make, I think. * * That country is worth contending for." The town referred to above by Colonel Talcott was probably "Hungary," inasmuch as, November 1, 1774, Zebulon Butler, agent for Col. Elizur Talcott, Capt. Gad Stanley, Capt. Elisha Phelps and Capt. Aaron Cleveland, laid out a township by that name containing twenty-five square miles. The same was approved November 1, 1774, by the proper committee of The Susquehanna Company.
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