A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 86

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 86

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" I write you this letter with reluctance, as I am certain it must give pain to any man of sensibility. I left Sunbury, and almost my whole property, on Wednesday last [July 8th]. * * I never in my life saw such scenes of distress. The river and the roads leading down it were covered with men, women and children flying for their lives -many without any property at all, and none who had not left the greatest part behind. In short, Northumberland County is broken up. Col. [Samuel] Huntert only remained, using his utmost endeavors to rally some of the inhabitants and to make a stand, how- ever short, against the enemy. I left him with very few-he had not 100 men on whom he could depend. Wyoming is totally abandoned-scarce a single family remained between that place and Sunbury when I came away. The panic and spirit of flight has reached even to this place-many having moved even out of this township-and almost every one is thinking of some place of greater security. * * *

"For God's sake-for the sake of the Country-let Colonel Hunter be reinforced at Sunbury. Send him but a single company if you cannot do more. * * Something in the way of charity ought to be done for the many miserable objects that crowd the banks of this river-especially those who fled from Wyoming. They are a people, you know, I did not use to love, but I now most sincerely pity their distress. The women and children, in general, are now removed out of Northumberland County, and I cannot but hope that the men will most cheerfully return with the first troops that go up that way."

By far the largest number of fugitives left Wyoming by way of the "Lower Road "-which passed up through Solomon's Gap, then ran in a north-easterly direction along the eastern base of Wilkes-Barre Moun- tain for about two miles, and then took a course for the most part south- easterly. At a point about nine miles (by the road) from Wilkes-Barré was Nathan Bullock's house and clearing, previously referred to; two and a-half miles farther on the road entered Bear Swamp, and ran for a mile and a-quarter through it-crossing, a little more than midway, Bear Creek. Two and a-quarter miles beyond Bear Swamp the road entered the "Great Swamp" (described, in part, in the note on page 329, Vol. I), through which it ran for fifteen miles. In the depths of these swamps (particularly the Great Swamp) were, at that period and for many years later, the lairs of wolves, bears, panthers, wild-cats and foxes, while rattlesnakes-some of them seven and eight feet in length -abounded.

Fleeing women and children thronged this road, with here and there a man to advise. All was confusion, consternation and horror. Whichever way the afflicted people turned their eyes, Death seemed to stare them in the face. Some died of excitement and fatigue, others of hunger and exposure, while many were lost, who never found their way out of the wilderness. Hundreds were never seen again after they turned their backs on Wyoming. By what sufferings and tortures they died the world will never know. One part of the Great Swamp was particularly dreary and disinal, and, on account of the number of fugi- tives who fell and perished in its mire and among its thorny brambles,

* See Pennsylvania Archives, 1st Series, VI : 632, 684.

+ Now Harrisburg. # Mentioned on page 664.

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FLIGHT OF THE INHABITANTS FROM WYOMING. After the battle and massacre in July, 1778. Photo-reproduction of an original drawing by Denman Fink in 1902. By courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons.

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it was called "The Shades of Death "-which name it still bears. Botta, in his history of the Revolutionary War, gives an account of the battle and massacre of Wyoming, and, in concluding it, states :

"Those who survived the massacre were no less worthy of our commiseration. They were women and children who had escaped to the mountains at the time their hus- bands, fathers and friends expired under the blows of the barbarians. Dispersed and wandering in the wilderness as chance and fear directed their steps, without clothes, without food, without guide, these defenseless fugitives suffered every degree of distress. Several of the women were delivered of children alone in the woods, at a great distance from every possibility of relief or help. The most robust and resolute only escaped, the others perished; their bodies and those of their helpless infants became the prey of wild beasts."

Jabez Fish, who was in the battle, escaped, but not being able to join his family, was supposed by them to have fallen. Mrs. Fish has- tened with her children through the wilderness. Overcome with fatigue and want her infant died. Sitting down a moment, on a stone, to see it draw its last breath, she gazed at its face with unutterable anguish. There was no way to dig a grave, and to leave the dead babe to be devoured by wolves seemed worse than death; so she took the little body in her arms and carried it twenty miles till she came to a German settlement. There was one company of about one hundred women and children, with but a single man-Jonathan Fitch, Sheriff of the county of Westmoreland-to advise and aid them. William Searle, a son of Constant Searle, Sr., of Kingston, went out over the "Lower Road " with a company of twelve women and children in his care. They left Forty Fort on the 7th or 8th of July and arrived at Fort Penn on the 13th. There they received from Colonel Stroud a "recommendation and pass " which is still in existence .* It reads as follows :

"Permit the bearers, Serg't WILLIAM SEARLE, with twelve women and children in company with him, to pass unmolested to some part of the State of Connecticut where they may be able, by their industry, to obtain an honest living-they being part of the unhappy, distressed people drove off from Wyoming by the Tories and Indians, and are truly a stripped and distressed people, and their circumstances call for the charity of all Christian people; and [they] are especially recommended by me to all authority, both civil and military, and to all Continental officers and Commissaries, to issue provisions and other necessaries for their relief on the road.

"Given under my hand at Fort Penn, July 14, 1778. [Signed] "JACOB STROUD, Col."

The endorsements upon the back of the foregoing recommendation show that the bearers thereof received provisions, etc., at the places and on the dates following, to wit : Newtown, Sussex County, New Jersey, July 18; Fishkill Landing, New York, August 30; Hartford, Connecti- cut, September 14. The following is a verbatim copy of another pass- portt issued by Colonel Stroud to Wyoming refugees.

" Permit PETER FINCH with five of his family to pass to Stanford in Connecticut, being one of the distressed families from Westmoreland on Susquehannah. They are recommended to the Charity of all Good People, as they are plundered of every thing valuable by the Tories and Indians. In particular they are Recommended to all Officers civil and military to afford all the ade & assistance their distrest Sircomstances require- in particular with Provision.

"Given under my hand at Fort Penn 14th Day of July 1778." [Signed] "JACOB STROUD, Col. &c."

A few families still continued to stand their ground in Wyoming- the majority of them occupying Forty Fort, while here and there throughout the Valley were others. In the town-plot of Wilkes-Barre,

. See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII : 78, 81.

t The original is document "No. 161" in the collection entitled "Susquehannah Settlers, 1755- 1796," mentioned on page 29, Vol. I.

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at its north-east corner, were Jonathan Slocum and the members of his family ; in the lower part of Kingston was the family of Elijah Harris. Mr. Harris had been in the battle and had escaped to Forty Fort. After nightfall he made his way to his home, where were his wife, his son Charles (thirteen years of age), several younger children, and two sisters who were ill and confined to their beds. Making hasty provision for the sustenance of his family, Elijah Harris left the Valley at day-break the following morning; but a few days later-after the departure of Major Butler's forces-he returned to his home and family.

Finally the Indians who had remained in the Valley gradually departed ; but about the 18th of July two or three Indians came down the river to Forty Fort and notified the occupants thereof that they and all others in the Valley must move off without delay. It was believed at the time by the inhabitants that some Tories up the river had, without authority, sent this notice, and therefore Dr. William Hooker Smith immediately set out on horse-back from Forty Fort for Fort Penn to urge Captain Spalding to repair to Wyoming with his company. But after Dr. Smith's departure it seemed to those who remained behind that the articles of capitulation executed on July 4th neither afforded nor would afford the people of Wyoming any security, and so they set about preparing to remove.

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Among the families then at Forty Fort were those of Dr. William Hooker Smith, James Sutton and Dr. Lemuel Gustin. Sutton and Gustin were sons-in-law of Dr. Smith,* and the family of Sutton con- sisted of himself and his wife Sarah, their daughter Deboraht (then in her sixth year), and a younger daughter. James Sutton and Dr. Gustin, having decided to. quit the Valley, proceeded to build a rude boat of timber, boards and nails which they obtained from a deserted cabin. In a few days their craft was completed, and into it were loaded the Smith, Sutton and Gustin families (fifteen persons in all), together with the few belongings which they had saved from the plundering savages. In due time these voyagers arrived at Northumberland, near Sunbury. Thence, after a short stay, they floated on down the river to Middle- town, where the Sutton family remained for a considerable length of time. Dr. Gustin, however, proceeded to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the practise of his profession. The Slocums, the Harrises, and the other families scattered throughout the Valley, deserted it at about the same time the Sutton-Gustin party went down the river.

In very truth Wyoming was now desolated and depopulated !

Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler, who, as mentioned on page 1031, set out on July 4th from Wilkes-Barre for Fort Allen, at Gnadenhütten, in Penn Township, Northampton County, reached that place a few days later. From there, under the date of July 10th, he despatched to the Board of War at Philadelphia a letter reading as followst :

" Honoured Sirs .- On my arrival at Westmoreland (which was only four days after I left Yorktown§ ), I found there was a large body of the enemy advancing on that settle- ment. On the Ist of July we mustered the militia and marched towards them, by the

* The wife of Dr. Smith, and his daughter Susanna, wife of Dr. Gustin, had died shortly before the battle of Wyoming of "putrid fever," which was then prevalent in the Valley. A sketch of Dr. William Hooker Smith will be found in a subsequent chapter.

t Deborah, daughter of James and Sarah (Smith) Sutton, was born at North Castle, Westchester County, New York, February 8, 1773, and died at Waverly, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1869. She was married May 16, 1799, as his second wife, to Jacob Bedford (born in 1762; died August 23, 1849), a resident of Luzerne County; Pennsylvania, for many years.

# See Marshall's "Life of George Washington" (Second edition), I : 281.

" York, Pennsylvania, where the Continental Congress was then sitting.

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river, above the settlement; found and killed two Indians at a place where, the day before, they had murdered nine men engaged in hoeing corn. We found some canoes, etc., but, finding we were above their main body, it was judged prudent to return; and as every man had to go to his own house for his provisions, we could not muster again till the 3d of July. In the meantime the enemy had got possession of two forts, one of which we had reason to believe was designed for them, though they burnt them both.

"The inhabitants had seven forts, for the security of their women and children, ex- tending about ten miles on the river, and too many men would [have to] stay in them to take care of them; but, after collecting about 300 of the most spirited of them, including Captain Hewitt's company, I held a council with the officers, who were all agreed that it was best to attack the enemy before they got any farther. We accordingly marched, found their situation, formed a front of the same extension of the enemy's, and attacked from right to left at the same time. Our men stood the fire well for three or four shots, till some part of the enemy gave way; but, unfortunately for us, through some mistake the word "retreat ' was understood from some officer on the left, which took so quick that it was not in the power of the officers to form them again, though I believe if they had stood three minutes longer the enemy would have been beaten.

"The utmost pains were taken by the officers, who mostly fell. A Lieutenant Colonel, a Major, and five Captains, who were in commission in the militia, all fell. Colonel Durkee* and Captains Hewitt and Ransom were likewise killed. In the whole, about 200 men lost their lives in the action on our side. What number of the enemy were killed is yet un- certain, though I believe a very considerable number. The loss of these men [on the American side] so intimidated the inhabitants that they gave up the matter of fighting. Great numbers ran off, and others would comply with the terms that I had refused. The enemy sent flags frequently; the terms you will see in the enclosed letter. They repeat- edly said that they had nothing to do with any but the inhabitants, and did not want to treat with me. Colonel Denison, by desire of the inhabitants, went and complied, which made it necessary for me and the little remains of Captain Hewitt's company to leave the place. Indeed, it was determined by the enemy to spare the inhabitants after their agree- ment, and that myself and the few Continental soldiers should be delivered up to the savages; upon which I left the place and came away, scarcely able to move, as I have had no rest since I left Yorktown.

"It has not been in my power to find a horse or man to wait on the Board till now. I must submit to the Board what must be the next step. The little remains of Hewitt's company (which are about fifteen), are gone to Shamoken, and Captain Spalding's com- pany, I have heard, are on the Delaware. Several-hundred of the inhabitants are stroll- ing in the country, destitute of provisions, who have large fields of grain and other necessaries of life at Westmoreland. In short, if the inhabitants can go back, there may yet be saved double the quantity of provisions to support themselves; otherwise they must be beggars, and a burthen to the world.

"I have heard from men that came from the place since the people gave up, that the Indians have killed no person since, but have burnt most of the buildings, and are collecting all the horses they can, and are moving up the river. They likewise say the enemy were 800, one-half white men. I should be glad that, if possible, there might be a sufficient guard sent for the defence of the place, which will be the means of saving thousands from poverty-but [I] must submit to the wisdom of Congress. I desire fur- ther orders from the honourable Board of War with respect to myself and the soldiers under my direction."

On the very day that Colonel Butler wrote and despatched the fore- going letter, Col. Timothy Pickering, at the War Office in Philadelphia, wrote to Colonel Butler (in response to the latter's report forwarded to the Board of War on July 3d-as noted on page 1005) the following lettert :

"I received your letter of the 3d inst., relative to the invasion of the Indians, and have since heard the engagement you expected actually took place, and greatly to the advantage of the enemy. The letter, with the additional information, was laid before Congress, and I hoped they would have given some order for relieving you; but, as yet, nothing has been done. Congress have been engaged in business of very great conse- quence. I have conversed with the Delegates from Connecticut, but they, as well as others, are at a loss to determine what measures are best to be pursued. A small force of Con- tinental troops, unless joined by the militia of this State, would be unequal to the enemy invading you; and to detach a large force from the army may be inconvenient; and either would probably arrive too late-for the enemy will not stay long in your borders, especi- ally when they are informed that the British have evacuated Philadelphia, and that, in

* Capt. ROBERT DURKEE is here referred to. He is given the title of "Colonel" by Colonel Butler presumably for the following reason: Captain Durkee, as senior Captain of the two Westmoreland Independent Companies, had commanded during the whole period of his service in the Continental army the battalion which these two companies formed. For this reason he may have been called by his fellow officers, by courtesy, Lieutenant Colonel, or Colonel.

t See "Life of Timothy Pickering," II : 221.

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their retreat through the Jerseys, we gained a victory over them, in which, and by deser- tions since they left the city, and fatigues and skirmishes on their march, they have lost full 3,000 men.

"I am anxious to hear of your present situation, which I hope is not so dangerous as the last reports represented it. If the enemy have invested your fort, and you can hold it long enough, surely Congress will order up a force sufficient to relieve you. The savages, I trust, will 'ere long find sufficient employment in their own countries, and repent of their union with the falling power of Britain; for, if the Indians persist in their hostilities, the resentment of the United States will not cool till those barbarians are exterminated from the earth. I hope soon to receive further information of the state of your settlement. This afternoon there will be a [meeting of the] Board for the express purpose of devising some measures for your assistance."

Upon the receipt of Colonel Butler's letter of July 10th, Colonel Pickering replied to it, under the date of July 15, 1778, as follows *:

"Your melancholy account of the fate of Wyoming I received by Mr. Williams. I regret that measures were not earlier taken for the relief of that and the other settle- ments on the frontiers. Something effectual would have been done in any other State than this by the people themselves, or their executive power. But the circumstances of this State are singular on many accounts. At length orders are issued for assembling immediately considerable bodies of militia at Standing Stone, t Sunbury and Easton. The latter, I hope, will be strengthened by the Jersey militia, which, I hear, have been ordered out against the Indians. The Commissary has been directed to appoint proper persons to supply these troops with provisions. To encourage the militia, and to give some cer- tain and immediate relief to the frontiers, Colonel Hartley's regiment is ordered to march to Sunbury (for 'tis apprehended the enemy from Wyoming will take that course), ex- cept a detachment of about eighty, who escorted some prisoners of war to Brunswick and will march from thence to Easton as soon as the express, who set off this morning, can reach them. At Easton they will receive further orders, either to join their regiment at Sunbury, or the troops on Delaware, as the movements of the enemy shall render expedient.

"We are informed that Colonel Kowatz, with part of General Pulaski's corps, is at Fort Penn. Captain Spalding's company, you hear, is on the Delaware. I should think it advisable for you, with such troops as are with you, to join it. You will co-operate with the Continental troops and militia which shall be collected, and concert with the commanding officers the most effectual measures for stopping the further ravages of the enemy. You can best judge on the spot to what quarter you should march; the numbers and movements of the enemy must direct you. I am convinced that motives of honor, as well as duty, will prompt you to exert your utmost ability to promote the common good and save the distressed frontier. Ammunition and some arms will be sent to the different frontier counties, as soon as the Council of this State have informed the Board what quantities they shall want for the militia-1,900 of whom they have ordered out in the whole. * * *

"General Washington, with the main army, is probably now crossing the North River. There is the highest reason to believe that he, by land, and the French Admiral by sea, will coop up the enemy at New York and make prisoners of the whole. We shall then be at leisure to chastise the savages, and the barbarous villains who have led and joined them in laying waste our frontiers."

At a meeting of the Supreme Executive Council held in Philadel- phia July 14, 1778-the day preceding that upon which the foregoing letter was written-there was adopted a "circular letter," reading in part as follows :

"The following arrangements for defence are agreed upon in view of the attack which has been made by the Indians and others on the frontiers of the State. A detach- ment of Colonel Hartley's regiment to march from New Jersey to Easton. The remain- der of Colonel Hartley's regiment now in Philadelphia to march immediately to Sunbury and join the two companies lately raised at Wyoming. § * * * It is necessary to add to these Continental troops a considerable body of militia. Council have, therefore. determined to order to Sunbury 300 militia from the county of Northumberland, 400 from Lancaster, and 150 from Berks. To Easton, from the county of Northampton, 300 men."

Upon the receipt of Colonel Pickering's second letter, Colonel But- ler immediately repaired to Fort Penn, in Lower Smithfield Township,

* See "Life of Timothy Pickering," II : 223.

t On the Juniata River, where the borough of Huntingdon (mentioned on page 783) now stands. See Egle's "History of Pennsylvania," pages 778 and 779.

# See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," XI : 531.

& The companies formerly commanded by Captains Durkee and Ransom, but then consolidated under the captaincy of Simon Spalding, as explained on page 978.

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where he was met by Lieut. Obadiah Gore, Jr. (see page 833), who had just arrived from the Continental army encamped at White Plains, New York. Lieutenant Gore was the bearer from Brig. Gen. S. H. Parsons (see page 978) to Colonel Butler of a letter dated at White Plains July 15, 1778, and reading in part as follows* :

"The rumor of the Wioming settlement being nearly destroyed has given me great concern. General Gates has therefore sent Lieutenant Gore, with leave of six weeks' absence, to see your state, &c. I must beg you to give me the earliest particular intel- ligence about the matter, that proper measures may be taken to chastize the insolence of those villains."

At Lower Smithfield, under the date of July 28, 1778, Col. Nathan Denison wrote to Gov. Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut and trans- mitted to him a copy (in his own handwriting) of the Forty Fort articles of capitulation. These documents were received by Governor Trumbull on the 4th of August following, and are now preserved among the " Trumbull Papers " previously mentioned. The letter reads as follows:

"Honoured St-As my circumstances have been such that it rendered allmost im- practible for me to give your Excelency an account of the unhappy affair that hapned at Westmoreland on the 3d of this instant, shall now indever to Represent the affair:

"on the Last of June We got intelegence of a Party of the Enemy being up the River about thirty miles Distant from us-the Party supposed not to be grate. the Next Day after another Scout Returned & gave an account that they had Discovered about 50 Cannoe Loads of the Enemy, with considerable parties of them on each side the River, coming down. Which inteligence alarmed the inhabitence so that some ware for secur- ing thare famalies in our forts, others for moveing out of the settlement. In this situa- tion We collected to the number of four Hundred of our men & marched up the River in order to meet the Enemy, but not meeting with them, saving a small scout which ware killed by our People. the Day before this hapned the Enemy fell on a small Party of our men that ware at work, killed four of them-the others made there escape. the Next Day after the body of the Enemy came to a small fort and demanded it, which was instantly given up, Whear they made there Head Quarters. during the time they was in the settlement there Parties ware Distroying our Cattle, Horses, &c.

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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 86

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