A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 67

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 67

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).

* See page 964.

t For example, see on page 971 a copy of a letter written by Major Butler to Sir Guy Carleton.

: Mentioned in a note on page 850.

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These, Butler believed, could be destroyed with ease by the large force of "Rangers" and Indians which he expected to muster. Middletown and Philadelphia were distant from each other only eighty-five miles, but the intervening country was everywhere in the strong occupancy of the Americans, while Washington's army lay at Valley Forge, almost in what would be the most direct line of march from the Susquehanna at or near Middletown to Philadelphia. Nevertheless, notwithstanding these conditions, Butler wrote and talked much in the Spring of 1778 about joining Sir Henry Clinton with his "Rangers" and Indians.

About February 12, 1778, during a severe snow-storin, a party of forty or fifty Indians, led by Parshall Terry, Jr., and another Westmore- land Tory who were members of Butler's Rangers, arrived at the old deserted Indian village of Friedenshütten (previously described), near Wyalusing, where several white families were then living. In the neighborhood of Wyalusing lived Amos York, a native of New London County, Connecticut, who, with his wife and children, had settled in Westmoreland some five years previously. His house was visited by Terry and his party on February 14th, and the family were plundered of most of their bedding, wearing apparel, ineat and grain. This spoil was loaded upon sleds, to which were hitched Mr. York's horses. His cattle and flocks were collected, and the best of them were taken, and then the marauders set off with Mr. York and Lemuel Fitch, another Westmoreland settler, as their prisoners. The party hurried northward to Fort Niagara as rapidly as possible, and the journey was one of incredible hardship and suffering to the prisoners .*

Early in March, 1778, Colonel Denison sent Lieut. Colonel Dor- rance, with 150 men of the 24th Regiment, up to Wyalusing for the purpose of aiding the family of Amos York, and the families of a few other Whig settlers then living at and near Friedenshütten, to remove to Wyoming Valley. Arriving at their destination, the party tore down the church and some of the best log houses there which had formerly been occupied by the Indians, and made a raft of the timbers, on which, and in canoes, the fleeing families and their belongings were placed and floated in safety down the river to Wyoming Valley.t

The reiterated rumors of preparations on the part of the British and their Indian allies to attack the Wyoming settlements, were now engag- ing, as never before, the attention of the members of Congress. They saw, felt and acknowledged the exposed and defenseless situation of these frontier settlements; but Philadelphia was then, and had been since September, 1777, in the possession of the enemy, and, while from that vantage-ground the heart of the country was being assailed, and the whole force under the control of Congress was being concentrated for an important and decisive campaign, little aid but encouraging words could be afforded to the threatened frontiers. Finally, on March 16, 1778, at York Town (now York), Pennsylvania, where the Congress was sitting, the following was votedt by that body:

"Resolved, That one full company of foot be raised in the town of Westmoreland, on the East Branch of the Susquehannah, for the defence of the said town and the settle- ments on the frontier in the neighbourhood thereof, against the Indians and the enemies of these States; the said company to be enlisted to serve one year from the time of their enlisting, unless sooner discharged by Congress.

* For a more extended account of this incident see "The Harvey Book," page 910.

t See Craft's "History of Bradford County," page 28.

# See "The Journals of Congress," IV : 113.

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"That officers be commissioned only in proportion to the number of men who shall be enlisted.

"That the same pay and rations be allowed to the company as to officers of the like rank and soldiers in the Continental army.

"That the Commissary General of Purchases contract with a suitable person to supply the company with provisions.

"That the company find their own arms, accoutrements, clothes and blankets.

"That the Colonel, and in his absence the next commanding field-officer of the militia at the said town of Westmoreland, be desired and empowered to superintend the said company; give orders relative to the stations it shall take for the defence of the country or other proper military services, and to see that the officers and men faithfully perform their duty, and on failure to give notice thereof to the Board of War."

At York Town, under the date of March 19, 1778, the Hon. Jona- than Bayard Smith wrote to the President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania as follows *:

"Upon an application from the settlers at Wyoming, or, as they call it, 'the town of Westmoreland,' Congress agreed to establish one company of troops there for its immediate defence, for one year."

Shortly afterwards Dethick Hewitt of Kingston, who, in October, 1777, had been commissioned Captain of the 2d Company, 24th Regi- ment, Connecticut Militia, was appointed and commissioned Captain to raise and command the Continental company arranged for as afore- mentioned, and he immediately entered upon the work of enlisting men. Within the course of a month or six weeks Captain Hewitt secured some forty men. In "Pennsylvania Archives," Second Series, XI : 111, it is stated: "If any record of his [Hewitt's] men was ever made out, it is unknown. Nathaniel Gatest was a Sergeant under him, and that is all that can be said of this third Wyoming independent company." On the authority of a statement made in writing by Col. John Franklin in 1828 (to be referred to hereinafter), we are able to state that Timothy Howe of Pittston was a Lieutenant in this company.

April 13, 1778, a town-meeting of the inhabitants of Westmore- land was held at Wilkes-Barre, when 120 freemen of the town-in addi- tion to the number mentioned on page 945-took the oath of allegiance to the State of Connecticut;} John Dorrance was chosen " Constable of Westmoreland, and Collector of the State Tax for said town, for the year 1778," and Col. Nathan Denison and Anderson Dana were elected Representatives from the town of Westmoreland to the Connecticut Assembly to be held in the ensuing May. On April 21st another town- meeting was held, at which, in accordance with regulations adopted by the Connecticut Assembly, prices, to be observed and adhered to by the inhabitants, were fixed upon certain commodities, services, etc. The following items have been extracted from the schedule adopted :

"Good yarn stockings, a pair, 10 sh .; Laboring women, at spinning, a week, 6 sh .; Winter-fed beef, a pound, 7d .; Taverners [inn-keepers], for dinner, of the best, per bead, 2 sh .; Metheglin, per gallon, 7 sh .; Beaver skins, per pound, 18 sh .; Shad, apiece, 6d .; Beaver hats (the best), each, £4; Ox work- for two oxen and tackling-per day, 3 sh .; Good hemp seed, a bushel, 15 sh .; Men's labor at farming-the three Summer months-per day, 5 sh. 3d .; Good check flannel (one yard wide), per yard, 8 sh .; Good white flannel (one yard wide), per yard, 5 sh .; Good tow and linen (one yard wide), per yard, 6 sh .; Tobacco, in hank or leaf, per pound, 9d .; Taverners, for a mug of flip, with two gills of rum in it, 4 sh .; Good barley, per bushel, 8 sh .; Making and setting shoes on a horse, all round, 8 sh .; Eggs, per dozen, 8d .; Strong beer, by the barrel, £2."

The General Assembly convened at Hartford May 14, 1778, and continued in session for some four weeks. Representatives Denison and

* See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, VI : 371.

t Then of Lackaway, but later of Kingston Township. When he enlisted he was only a few weeks past twenty-two years of age.

{ As noted in the extract from the narrative of Elisha Harding, on page 918, among those who took the freeman's oath were several Tories from up the Susquehanna.

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Dana of Westmoreland were in attendance during the entire session. Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler (although absent from Westmoreland, on duty with his regiment-the 3d Connecticut) was appointed by the Assembly, and subsequently commissioned, "Judge of the County Courts in and for Westmoreland," and Col. Nathan Denison was appointed and commissioned "Judge of the Court of Probate for the district of West- moreland for the year ensuing." Nathan Denison, Christopher Avery, Capt. Obadiah Gore and Zerah Beach were appointed and commissioned Justices of the Peace and Justices of the Quorum in and for the county of Westmoreland for the ensuing year, and Zebulon Butler, William McKerachan, Asaph Whittlesey, Uriah Chapman, Anderson Dana, Ebenezer Marcy, Stephen Harding, John Franklin, 2d,* Joseph Hamil- ton and William Judd were appointed and commissioned Justices of the Peace in and for the county of Westmoreland for the ensuing year.

The commission issued by Governor Trumbull under the date of June 1, 1778, to the abovenamed Justices, set forth their powers and duties very fully. The Justices of the Quorum were assigned "to assist the Judge of the county of Westmoreland to enquire of, hear and deter- inine-by a jury or otherwise-all matters and things, civil and criminal, cognizable by said Court ;" while the Justices of the Peace (including those who were likewise Justices of the Quorum) were assigned, "jointly and severally, to keep the peace within the county of Westmoreland; and to keep, and cause to be kept, all the Laws and Ordinances" that were or should be made "for the good, the peace, and conservation of the same, and for the quiet rule and government of the people within the county aforesaid; and to chastise and punish all persons offending in the County aforesaid against the said Laws or Ordinances; *

* and to hear and determine all causes, matters and things, civil and criminal, which any one Assistant" had by law to hear and determine.

At the aforementioned session of the Assembly John Franklin, Jr. (previously mentioned), Stoddard Bowen and Nathaniel Goss were respectively appointed and commissioned Captain, Lieutenant and Ensign of the 10th Company of the 24th Regiment, which had been organized and established in October, 1776, as noted on page 908; Lieut. Aholiab Buck of Kingston was promoted Captain of the 2d Com- pany, in the room of Dethick Hewitt, holding a commission in the Con- tinental army ; Elijah Shoemaker was appointed and commissioned Lieutenant of the same company to succeed Aholiab Buck, promoted, and Jeremiah Bickford was appointed Ensign of the 4th Company.

Early in this same session, in consequence of a memorial presented by Representative Anderson Dana, the following was adopted by the Assembly :

"Whereas, by reason of the great distance that the inhabitants of Westmoreland are from the seat of Government, the Act regulating the prices of labor, produce, &c., within this State was in force a considerable time before the inhabitants of Westmoreland had any knowledge of the same; and thereby sundry of the inhabitants have sold sundry articles at a higher price than the price limited in said Act, and so by law cannot take the oath as by said Act is provided. Therefore, Resolved. That all the inhabitants of said town who have been guilty of any breach of said Act between the 20th of March and the 1st of May, 1778, be and are hereby discharged from any prosecution that already has been, or that may be, commenced against them."t

* Sometimes referred to in the Westmoreland records at that period as "John Franklin, Jr." Later he was known as Captain, and still later as Colonel. John Franklin.

t As to the Act of Assembly regulating prices, and providing penalties for a violation of the provis- ions of the Act, see Vol. I, "Records of the State of Connecticut."

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The following action was taken by the Assembly with respect to certain inhabitants of Westmoreland dwelling along the Susquehanna at some distance above Wyoming Valley:

"Upon the memorial [dated May 27, 1778] of Elijah Phelps, Lemuel Fitch, Richard Fitzgerald, Amos York, Benjamin Skiff, Benjamin Eaton, Benjamin Merry, John Williamson, Frederick Vanderlip. Nathan Kingsley, Nicholas Depew [De Pui], Elijah Brown, Elijah Phelps, Jr., James Foresyth, Thomas Millard, Jr., and James Wells, of the county of Westmoreland, showing to this Assembly that they were settled up the Susque- hanna River nearly adjoining to the Indian settlement; and that by the unfriendly behavior of the Indians have been obliged to move off their farms; and praying to have their rates, or taxes, abated-made on the list of August, 1777-Resolved, That they be abated."

Craft, referring to this matter in his "History of Bradford County" (page 67), says :

"This petition is not a fair statement of facts, and was doubtless made without the knowledge of all whose names are mentioned. York, Fitch and Kingsley were at that date captives among the Indians; James Wells was in the Continental army, while some of the others were Tories in the British army."

What Dr. Craft states with reference to some of the foregoing memorialists being Tories is undoubtedly true, for their names will be found among those extracted from the roster of Butler's Rangers and printed on page 944; but it is not at all probable that, when the Assem- bly acted upon the memorial in question, it was known or even sur- mised by the members of that body that a single one of the memorialists had any connection with the enemy.

Towards the end of May Colonel Denison presented to the Assem- bly a memorial *- dated at Hartford, May 21, 1778, and signed by him- self-setting forth that the inhabitants of Westmoreland had been greatly troubled by a number of Indians and Tories coming down from the Indian settlements on the North Branch of the Susquehanna and robbing several of the inhabitants in the northern part of the county "of their horses, cattle, and effects, taking prisoners, burning their houses," &c. Continuing, the memorial stated :

"The matter having been presented to Congress, they ordered one full company of foot raised by voluntary enlistment, for the defence of said County; engaging to said company the same pay, rations and ammunition as other Continental troops have. * * Upon the above encouragement it is very difficult to fill up said company [Capt. Dethick Hewitt's]. * * and the memorialist prays that said company may be put on the same footing with respect to bounty, clothing and pay as the new levies in this State are." * *

This memorial, being discussed and acted upon in both Houses of the Assembly, was "negatived "; whereupon, on June 3d, Colonel Denison presented a second memorial,t wherein he set forth that he was the Colonel commanding the 24th Regiment of the militia of the State, and then continued as follows :

" That Westmoreland is a frontier town adjoining to the wilderness and a country of savages which have been hired by our merciless enemies to murder the peaceable inhabitants of these United States; and for the defence of this and the rest of the United States the memorialist has, in the years 1776 and 1777 and also in the month of January last, been obliged to send forth detachments from said regiment in scouting parties; and when there was danger of being attacked by the savages and Tories has called forth a part of said regiment to keep proper guards. And, as no man goeth to war at his own expence, the memorialist humbly prays your Honours to grant the common and usual wages and expences of said officers and men so called into service," etc.

This memorial having been taken into consideration, the following was passed by both Housest:

. Document "No. 96" in the collection of MSS. entitled "Susquehannah Settlers," mentioned on page 29, Vol. I.

t Document "No. 88", ut supra.

# See "Records of the State of Connecticut," II : 58.

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"Resolved by this Assembly, That the Committee of Pay Table be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to receive the pay abstracts of the officers and men (called into service as aforesaid ) properly made out and attested, and adjust and settle the same * * in the same manner as is allowed to others of the militia of this State on like occasions."

During the May session of the Assembly a petition was received by that body, dated at Hartford, May 27, 1778, and signed by Jacob Anguish and George Kentner,* who described themselves as inhabitants of Westmoreland. They declared that "in the Spring of 1777 they lived up the Susquehanna about thirty miles above the main settlement, and by some evil and designing persons were induced to leave said set- tlement and remove up the river to some Indian lands. Soon after they were taken by a number of foreign Indians and carried to Niagara, and there obliged to go into the service of the King of Great Britain or into close confinement. Whereupon they went to batteauing in said service, and, as soon as they could find opportunity, got away and returned to their former settlement, about thirty miles above the main settlement."

Relating some other circumstances of minor importance the peti- tioners then set forth that, some time after their return to their "former settlement" (which was near the present borough of Tunkhannock, Wyoming County), "a number of persons, who were inimical to the United States, with a number of Indians came down the river and took and plundered sundry persons then living up said river. Whereupon the Colonel of the 24th Regiment in said State sent a party to take said party that had been taking, &c., as aforesaid ; and on their way they found your memorialists, whom they suspected had been joining said plundering party, and they took and confined your memorialists in the common gaol in Westmoreland, and after some time sent your memo- rialists, with others, to the gaol in Hartford, where your memorialists are now confined.

"Your memorialists would beg leave to say that they are friends to their country, and are willing to take the oath of fidelity required in this State, and will to the utmost of their ability support the United States. They pray that they may be liberated from said gaol, and may return to their families in Westmoreland, who are in distressed circum- stances-or in some other way grant relief to your memorialists." The Assembly forthwith took this memorial into consideration, and soon afterwards granted the prayer of the memorialists, who were immedi- ately released from confinement. What became of Kentner we are

* The names of both these men are mentioned several times in the preceding pages, both having come to Wyoming with the settlers under The Susquehanna Company as carly, at least, as July, 1771. (See page 696.) In July, 1772, Jacob Anguish, describing himself as "of Pittstown, in ye Susque- hannah Purchase," conveyed to David Pixley, of Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, "one settling right in the township of Capouse Meadows, so called; which township was granted by The Susquehanna Company at Norwich, April 1, 1772, and ordered to be laid out." This deed was wit- nessed at Wilkes-Barre by Zebulon Butler and Ezekiel Peirce.

At Goshen, New York, under the date of January 27, 1778, "Jeremiah Colman" wrote to "the Committee of the Susquehanna Purchase" at Wyoming as follows: "Please to be so kind as to give Mr. BENJAMIN HARVEY the full charge of my Shawnee lots of land (I own right, and house that Ors- burn built for me), if he [Harvey] shall do the duty of a right until I sball come or send my son. " Discharge ANGUISH immediately from my lot. I understand that ANGUISH destroys the timber, and is a disagreeable person. I should be very glad to have him put off, and the care thereof given to Mr. HARVEY until I come or send other request." At Goshen, under the date of March 23, 1778, Jeremiah Colman addressed "to Capt. Z. Butler or Mr. Benjamin Harvey, at Sisquehanah," a letter reading as follows: "I am at this instant sending part of my family to Shawany. I hope you will immediately discharge ANGUISH and give the possession to my son Jesse. If my son wants any provision or other relief, please to give your assistance, and I will satisfy you."

George Kentner, or Kentnor, was admitted a proprietor-settler in Wilkes-Barre, September 24, 1771, and participated in the allotment of the township lands in April, 1772. (See pages 718 and 728.) Craft (in his "History of Bradford County," page 65) says that Anguish moved up to the neigh. borhood of Tunkhannock; that Kentner remained near Wilkes-Barre until March 22, 1774, when he sold Lot No. 2 to William Stark and moved near Anguish, in the neighborhood of Tunkhannock. In the beginning of 1777 Anguish and Kentner removed to the neighborhood of Sheshequin, where, with sixteen others, they were captured in December, 1777.

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unable to state, but Anguish, who was enrolled as a soldier in Butler's Rangers (see page 944)-which fact, it is quite probable, was not then surmised by the Assembly-made his way to Tioga Point, near the northern bounds of Westmoreland. There, a little while later, he joined the "Rangers" and accompanied them on their incursion against Wyo- ming, hereinafter described. In this connection it will be interesting to read a petition which was prepared for and signed by Jacob Anguish at Niagara in the Summer of 1784, and transmitted to Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor of Quebec. The original petition is now among the "Haldimand Papers" (see page 963), and a copy of it is here printed for the first time .*

While the inhabitants of Wyoming were, in the Spring of 1778, . united in the opinion that they were in imminent danger of an incur- sion by the savages, and that it behooved them to work together in harmony and with singleness of purpose for the protection of the entire settlement, yet, it seems, there were some who found time in the hour of danger to busy themselves about less important affairs. At the May session of the Connecticut Assembly there was presented a petition dated at Westmoreland, April 29, 1778, and signed by Josiah Stanburrough, Timothy Pearce, Benjamin Jones, Richard Halstead, and eighteen others, praying that a citizen of Westmoreland who had been prominent in the affairs of the settlement for some time, should not be appointed a Judge of the Westmoreland County Court for the following reasonst:

" That he is a man of no religion, and doth not pay suitable regard to the Sabbath, but suffereth his family to saw boards in his saw-mill on the Sabbath-day, and also to go a hunting on the Sabbath-day. And furthermore, the said Judge appears when on the judgment-seat to be a party in causes depending in the Court before him. * *

* And said Judge admitted an Indian belonging to some one of the tribes up the Susquehanna River to swear to a book account before him; and granted out a writ on said debt against

. PETITION OF JACOB ANGUISH.

"To Lieut. Col. DE PEYSTER, Commanding [Fort] Niagara:

"The Petition of JACOB ANGUISH, late a Ranger in Lieut. Col. Butler's Corps, Most Humbly Sheweth,

"That your Petitioner in the year 1777 quitted his Habitation near the Susquehanna, and joined Lieut. Col. Butler, under whose Command he went on the Expedition against Fort Stanwix, and was present at the Battle of Oriskany. That when the Army retreated he obtained permission from Lieut. Col. St. Ledger to return Home, in order to bring off his Family; but having the misfortune to be taken Prisoner on his journey, he was put into a Dungeon at Hartford where he was detained nine months.

"That during this confinement his sufferings had reduced him to such a state that the Americans found it necessary to release him, and permit him to return to his home. That on arriving there he found that a Party of Indians had plundered his House & carried off his wife and children Prisoners; he therefore joined Col. Butler a second time & went with him on the Expedition against Wioming.

"That during the time that your Petitioner remained in the Dungeon at Hartford he was subjected to all the sufferings which Pain, sickness and intense cold could produce. That as he lay on the ground his clothes were sometimes frozen to it, and that one morning his Heel was frozen so fast in the mud that he was obliged to get one of his fellow Prisoners to disengage it-being himself so reduced by sick- ness that he was incapable of making any effort. That having been ever afterwards troubled with Pains in that foot & leg, an ulcer at last broke out upon the Heel, attended with a Disease of the Bone. That after having undergone great Torments for near two years, he was, upon the Reduction of the Corps of Rangers, admitted into the garrison Hospital at Niagara, where the Surgeons have found it abso- lutely necessary to Cut off his Leg.

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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 67

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