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 early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume I > Part 77
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In Chapter XI, in connection with the events of the years 1770 and 1771, will be found the names of a number of those to whom lands in "Stoke" and "Sunbury" were either leased or sold, in 1769 and the years mentioned above, by the authorized agents of the Proprietaries.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE SETTLEMENT AT WYOMING RENEWED BY THE SUSQUEHANNA COM- PANY-MAJ. JOHN DURKEE AND THE "SONS OF LIBERTY"-FORT DURKEE ERECTED-THE FIVE "SETTLING-TOWNS "- WILKES-BARRÉ LAID OUT AND NAMED-SOME FACTS RELATIVE TO THE WRITING AND PRONUNCIA- TION OF THE NAME OF THE TOWN.
"And who were they, our fathers? In their veins Ran the best blood of England's gentlemen ; Her bravest in the strife on battle-plains, Her wisest in the strife of voice and pen ; Her holiest, teaching, in her holiest fanes, The lore that led to martyrdom ; and when On this side ocean slept their wearied sails, And their toil-bells woke up our thousand hills and dales,
"Shamed they their fathers? Ask the village spires Above their Sabbath-homes of praise and prayer ; Ask of their children's happy household-fires, And happier harvest noons ; ask Summer's air, Made merry by young voices, when the wires Of their school-cages are unloosed, and dare Their slanderers' breath to blight the memory That o'er their graves is 'growing green to see' !" -Fitz-Greene Halleck's "Connecticut."
Within a very short time after the signing of the Fort Stanwix Treaty the fact that some of the Six Nation chiefs had, concurrently, executed a deed for the Wyoming lands in favor of the Pennsylvania Proprietaries, became known to the Executive Committee of The Sus- quehanna Company. A majority of the committee got together as soon as it was convenient for them to do so, and, after discussing the situa- tion, prepared the following "advertisement," which was published in The New London Gazette December 2, 1768, in the Connecticut Courant (Hartford) some days later, and in the Pennsylvania Chronicle and Universal Advertiser (Philadelphia) December 19, 1768.
"WHEREAS, the lands formerly purchased by the New England people and others (commonly called THE SUSQUEHANNA COMPANY) of the Six Nations of Indians, and lying on Susquehanna River, are within the grant made to the Governor and Company of the Colony of Connecticut, in the most plain and legal construction thereof ; and His Majesty's prohibition as to the settling of those lands pointing out the dissatisfaction and disturbance that such settlement might occasion to those Indians as the only reason of such prohibition ; and, as in consequence of His Majesty's order at the late congress at Fort Stanwix, such precautions have been taken as to obviate any fresh troubles with the Indians ; and the Indians being now quieted and satisfied-it appears that nothing reason- able lies in the way against the Susquehanna purchasers going on and settling those lands, purchased by them (lying within the line settled with the Indians at said congress),
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as soon as conveniently may be. These are therefore to give notice to the said SUSQUE- HANNA COMPANY to meet at Hartford, in the Colony of Connecticut, on the 28th day of December next, then and there to consult and act what they see fit and convenient as to carrying on such settlement-and any other business that may be thought proper to be done at said meeting.
"Windham, November 28, 1768.
[Signed]
"ELIPHALET DYER, "JEDIDIAH ELDERKIN, *
"SAMUEL GRAY, .
"JOHN SMITH,
Committee."
* JEDIDIAH ELDERKIN was born at Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, in 1717, the second child and eldest son of John and Susanna (Baker) Elderkin. John Elderkin-the third of the name-was the grandson of John Elderkin the first, who was born in 1616 (presumably in England) and became the progenitor of all who bear that surname in this country. John Elderkin, Ist, was settled at Lynn, Massa- chusetts, in 1637 ; but before 1650 he had removed to New London, Connecticut, He ultimately settled in Norwich, where a grant of land was made to him in 1667. He was a carpenter and mill-wright, and built the first meeting-house at New London and the first grist-mill at Norwich. He was twice married-his second wife, to whom he was married about 1660, being Elizabeth, widow of William Gaylord of Windsor, Connecticut. John Elderkin, 1st, died at Norwich June 23, 1687.
Jedidiah Elderkin became a lawyer about 1740, and August 31, 1741, was married to Anne Wood of Norwich. In 1744 they removed to the town of Windham (mentioned on page 249), taking up their resi- dence at the "Green," where they were next-door neighbors to Eliphalet Dyer. There Mr. Elderkin con- tinued to practise law, and in the course of a few years had acquired, for that period, an extensive client- age. "Elderkin and Dyer were unquestionably the leading lawyers of eastern Connecticut, and their fame was not confined to their own section. Elderkin was about four years the senior of Dyer."
In May, 1751, Jedidiah Elderkin first sat in the General Assembly of Connecticut as one of the two Deputies from the town of Windham. He was also in attendance at the October session of that year, and thereafter he represented his town in the Assembly for sixteen years-although not continuously. In May, 1755, he was appointed and.commissioned by the General Assembly a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Windham, and in that office he was continued, by successive appointments, for a period of thirty years. He was, as previously noted, one of the organizers of The Susquehanna Company in 1754. In 1774, and perhaps earlier, he was King's Attorney in and for Windham County. In October, 1754, he was "established" and commissioned Ensign of the Ist Company, or Train-band, in the 5th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, and in October, 1759, was promoted Major of the regiment. In October, 1774, he was commissioned by the General Assembly Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th Regiment, "to succeed Eliphalet Dyer, promoted," and in the following March was promoted Colonel of the regiment "in room of Eliph- alet Dyer, resigned." The 5th Regiment, at that time, was composed of companies located in the towns of Windham, Mansfield and Ashford. In January, 1776, Colonel Elderkin was appointed by the General Assembly to go to Salisbury to procure the casting of cannon for the State ; and in May, 1776, as previously noted (on page 283), he was appointed a member of the Connecticut "Council of Safety." Of that body he remained a member during the continuance of the war, rendering important services to his country and his State in their hours of greatest need and peril. He was an ardent patriot.
At a special session of the General Assembly of Connecticut in December, 1775, it was enacted that a bounty of £30 should be paid by the Colony to the person who would erect the first powder-mill in the Colony and manufacture 500 pounds of good, merchantable gunpowder. At the same session liberty was given Colonel Elderkin and Nathaniel Wales, Jr. (hereinbefore mentioned), to erect a powder-mill in the town of Windham. The mill was built without delay, at what is now the city of Willimantic, then a hamlet of some half-dozen houses, and before May, 1776, Messrs. Elderkin and Wales had manufactured 1,000 pounds of powder-for which they were paid the promised bounty. This mill was totally destroyed by an explosion, December 13, 1777. November 2, 1775, Colonel Elderkin was directed by Governor Trum- bull and the Council of the Colony to proceed to New London, accompanied by Major Dawes, of Norwich, and such engineers of General Washington's army as the Governor would be able to engage, "in order to view the circumstances of the harbor and port of New London and neighboring places, and consider of the most proper places and manner of fortifying the same against the enemy-according to the Act of Assembly." The harbor of New London was then (as it is now) not only one of the finest on the Atlantic coast of this country, but, next to New York and Philadelphia, was the most important. Major Dawes declined to perform the service desired of him, and no engineers could be procured ; consequently Colonel Elderkin went to New London alone to do the work. Accompanied by some of the principal gentlemen of the town he visited Mammicock Island, Winthrop's Point, Groton and other places, and viewed the old-time works of defense standing there. November 15, 1775, he made a lengthy and interesting report to the Governor, which is printed in full in "American Archives," Fourth Series, III : 1560-2. The closing paragraph reads as follows : "So far as I can judge it is of the utmost importance to secure the port and harbor of New London from falling into the hands of our enemies-which will be an asylum for ships, vessels of force, floating batteries, &c., that may be by the Continent, or any particular Government, built for the protection of our sea-coasts or country. If left destitute of protection, and should fall into the hands of our enemies, it would let them into the bowels of our country and give them great advantage against us."
Just one year later Colonel Elderkin and Nathaniel Wales, Jr., were directed by the Council of Safety to go to New London and do everything in their power "to send out the ship Oliver Cromwell on a cruise." December 9, 1776, the Council of Safety resolved that, "Colonel Elderkin not being in suitable circum- stances to march with the 5th Regiment in the present emergency, the command be given, for the emer- gency, to Major Brown." The last important public service performed by Colonel Elderkin was as a member of the Connecticut convention which met at Hartford in January, 1788, to ratify the Constitution of the United States. He died at Windham March 3, 1793, and his wife died there June 14, 1804, aged eighty-three years.
Col. Jedidiah and Anne ( Wood) Elderkin were the parents of nine children, the eldest of whom, Judith Elderkin (born March 2, 1743), became the wife of Jabez Huntington, at one time Sheriff of Wind- ham County. Another daughter, Anne Elderkin, was married to Jabez Clark (born November 2, 1753), son of Dr. John and Jerusha (Huntington) Clark, and grandson of Col. Jabez Huntington (mentioned on page 280) and his first wife, Elizabeth Edwards. Charlotte, a daughter of Jabez and Anne (Elderkin) Clark, became the wife of the Hon. Samuel Huntington Perkins of Philadelphia. Charlotte Elderkin (born October 23, 1764), eighth child of Colonel Elderkin, became the wife of Samuel Gray, Jr., as men- tioned on page 293.
Vine Elderkin, the second child and eldest son of Colonel Elderkin, was born at Windham September 11, 1745. At the age of eighteen he was graduated at Yale College as a Bachelor of Arts, in the same class (1763) with Ebenezer Gray, mentioned on page 292. In 1766 he received the degree of Master of Arts from his Alma Mater. He studied law with his father and located as a lawyer in his native town, where he was married November 23, 1767, to Lydia, third daughter of the Rev. Stephen and Mary (Dyer ) White and niece of Col. Eliphalet Dyer. (See page 393.) The Rev. Stephen White was a graduate of Yale College, and in 1767 had been for some years pastor of the Congregational Church at Windham. In 1769 Vine Elderkin was here in Wyoming Valley, taking an active part in attempting to establish The Susquehanna Company's settlements. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War he was engaged in mercantile
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business in New York, but returning to Connecticut he was, in June, 1776, commissioned Captain of the 7th Company of the 1st Battalion of Connecticut Militia, sent to the relief of the army in and near New York City. In October, 1776 (see "Records of the State of Connecticut," I : 13), he was appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut "Captain in one of the eight battalions now ordered to be raised." Re- turning with his company from New York (their term of service having expired) in November or Decem- ber, 1776, he accepted his new appointment and was commissioned Captain of a company in the 7th Regi- ment of the Connecticut Line. With this organization he served from January to November, 1777. I11 1778 he was on duty in Massachusetts as an officer of the Commissary Department. About 1794 he again removed to the State of New York, and, in the vicinity of West Point, on the Hudson, had charge of an iron-foundry. He died at the residence of one of his daughters in Greenbush (East Albany), New York, August 5, 1800. He was the father of five daughters and two sons. His daughter Mary Ann Elderkin be- came the wife of Henry Clark (born May 4, 1766), a younger brother of her father's sister's husband, Jabez Clark, previously mentioned.
There is said to have occurred in the town of Windham, nearly 150 years ago, an amusing incident which has often been celebrated in song and in story. With this "old Colony tale"-entitled "The Frogs of Windham"-the names of Colonels Jedidiah Elderkin and Eliphalet Dyer are inseparably connected. One dark and dismal night in July, 1758, the peaceful inhabitants of Windham were aroused from sleep about midnight by what seemed to be the yells and whoops of Indians in the distance. Many swore that, at intervals, they heard called out these words : "Colonel Dyer, and Elderkin, too !" "Colonel Dyer, and Elderkin, too !"" But, we will let Samuel Peters tell the story, as he gives it in his "History of Connecti- cut," published in 1781. It runs, in part, as follows :
"The town of Windham * * has plenty of brooks, ponds and marshes in its neighborhood. Strangers are very much terrified at the hideous noise made on Summer evenings by the vast number of frogs in the brooks and stagnant ponds. There are about thirty different voices, commonly, some of which resemble the bellowing of a bull. The owls and whip-poor-wills complete the rough concert, which may be heard several miles. Persons accustomed to such serenades are not disturbed by them, but one night in July, 1758, the frogs of an artificial pond about five miles from Windham [Green], find- ing the waters dried up, left the place in a body and marched, or rather hopped, towards Winnomantic River. They were under the necessity of taking the road and going through the town, which they entered about midnight. The bull-frogs were the leaders, and the pipers followed without number. They filled the road forty yards wide for four miles in length, and were, for several hours in passing through the town, unusually clamorous.
"The inhabitants were equally perplexed and frightened-some expected to find an army of French and Indians ; others feared an earthquake, and dissolution of nature. The consternation was universal. Old and young, male and female, fled naked from their beds with, if possible, worse shriekings than those of the frogs. The event was fatal to several women. The men-after a flight of half a mile, in which they met with many broken shins-finding no enemies in pursuit of them, made a halt and sum- moned resolution enough to venture back to their wives and children ; when they distinctly heard from the enemy's camp these words : 'Wight, Helderken, Dier, Tete !' This last, they thought, meant treaty; and, plucking up courage, they sent a triumvirate to capitulate with the supposed French and Indians. These three men approached in their shirts, and begged to speak with the General ; but it being dark, and no answer given, they were sorely agitated for some time betwixt hope and fear. At length, how- ever, they discovered that the dreaded inimical army was an army of thirsty frogs, going to the river for a little water."
Miss Ellen Larned, in her "History of Windham County," says: "Nor was the report of the Wind- ham panic confined to its own county. Even without the aid of newspapers and pictorial illustrations it was borne to every part of the land. It was sung in song and ballad; it was related in histories; it served as a standing joke in all circles and seasons. * * The Windham bull-frogs have achieved a world-wide reputation, and with Rome's goose, Putnam's wolf, and a few other favored animals, will ever hold a place in popular memory and favor."
The following poetical account of the Windham frog-scare was published in The Providence Gazette (Rhode Island) a good many years ago.
"When these free States were Colonies Unto the mother Nation, And in Connecticut the good Old 'Blue Laws' were in fashion,
"A circumstance which there occurred (And much the mind surprises Upon reflection) then gave rise To many strange surmises.
"You all have seen, as I presume, Or had a chance to see,
Those strange amphibious quadrupeds Called bull-frogs commonly.
"Well, in Connecticut, 'tis said, By those who make pretensions To truth, those creatures often grow To marvellous dimensions.
"One night, in July, '58, They left their home behind 'em- Which was an oak and chestnut swamp About five miles from Windham.
"The cause was this : The Summer's sun Had dried their pond away there So shallow, that, to save their souls, The bull-frogs could not stay there.
"All in a regiment they hopped, With many a curious antic, Along the road which led unto The River Winnomantic.
"When they in sight of Windham came, All in high perspiration,
They held their course straight tow'rds the same With loud vociferation.
"You know such kind of creatures are By nature quite voracious.
Thus they, impelled by hunger, were Remarkably loquacious.
"Up flew the windows, one and all, And then, with ears erected,
From ev'ry casement gaping rows Of night-capped heads projected.
"The children cried, the women screamned : 'Oh ! Lord have mercy on us ;
The French have come to burn us out, And now are close upon us !'
"A few, upon the first alarm, Had armed themselves-to go forth Against the foe-with guns and belts, Shot, powder-horns and so forth.
"Away they went, across the lots- Hats, caps and wigs were scattered, And heads were broke and shoes were lost, Shins bruised and noses battered.
"Thus, having gained a mile or two- Those men of 'steady habits'- All snug behind an old stone-wall Lay like a nest of rabbits.
"They thought upon their hapless wives, Their meeting-house and cattle, And then resolved to sally forth And give the Frenchmen battle.
"Among the property which they Had brought with them to save it, Were found two trumpets and a drum, Just as good luck would have it.
"Such as were armed, in order ranged, The music in the center ;
Declared they would not run away, But on the French would venture.
"There might have been among them all Say twenty guns, or over.
How many pitchforks, scythes and flails, I never could discover.
COL. JEDIDIAH ELDERKIN. From a portrait in the possession of one of his descendants.
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In the same issue of The New London Gazette with the foregoing was printed a "Public Notice" addressed to the "First and Second Com- panies of the Delaware Purchasers,"* calling upon them to meet at the Court House in Norwich, New London County, on December 21, 1768, "to consider of certain matters of utmost importance." To this notice were attached the names of Isaac Tracy, Jabez Fitch, Capt. Robert Dix- son, Elisha Tracy, Samuel Huntington and John Curtiss, t "Committee."
On December 28th, agreeably to notice, a large number of the pro- prietors of The Susquehanna Company assembled at Hartford-John Smith, Esq., a member of the Executive Committee and one whose name has been frequently mentioned hereinbefore, presiding over the meeting as "Moderator." There was much earnestness and enthusiasm manifested by all who were present, and a number of important meas- ures for effecting settlements on the Susquehanna lands were adopted. The Company, first of all, unanimously voted "to proceed and settle" the lands, inasmuch as, since the month of May, 1763-when they had been informed that it was the King's will that "the prosecution of the settle- ment" of the lands in question should be stopped (see page 414)-"the state of their cause respecting those lands had been laid before His Majesty in Council ; and, in pursuance of His Majesty's orders, such precautions had been taken in settling the line with the Indians and in paying and satisfying them for all the lands, as fully to obviate any fresh troubles with the Indians." It was then resolved that "forty per- sons-upwards of the age of twenty-one years, proprietors in said Pur- chase and approved by the committee to be nominated-proceed to enter upon and take possession of said land, for and in behalf of said Com- pany, by the first day of February, 1769; and that 200 more of said Company, of the age aforesaid, proceed and join said forty as early in the Spring as may be-not later than the 1st day of May."
For the encouragement of the "First Forty" settlers, as also of the 200 who should join them in the Spring, the Company voted to lay out five "gratuity" towns, or townships, of land within the Purchase. Each town was to be five miles square, and three of the towns were to be located on one side of the river and two on the other side-"adjoining and opposite to each other, only the river parting ; at such place on said river as they [the settlers] may think proper. Each of said towns to be five miles on the river, and extend an equal width back five miles,
"The rest agreed to close the rear- After some intercession- And altogether made a queer And curious procession.
"Th' advancing foe an answer made, But-it was quite provoking- Not one of them could understand The language it was spoke in.
"Some were persuaded that they saw The band of French marauders ; And not a few declared they heard The officers give orders.
"So there they stood in piteous plight ('Twas ludicrous to see) Until the BULL-FROGS came in sight- Which shamed them mightily.
"These words could be distinguished then- · 'Dyer,' 'Elderkin' and 'Tète.' And when they heard the last, they thought The French desired a treaty.
"Then all went home, right glad to save Their property from pillage ; And all agreed to shame the me11 Who first alarmed the village.
"So, three good, sober-minded men Were chosen straight to carry 'Terms to the French, as Ministers Plenipotentiary.
"Some were well pleased, and some were mad, Some turned it off in laughter ; And some would never speak a word About the thing thereafter.
"These moving on with conscious fear, Did for a hearing call,
And begged a inoment's leave to speak With the French General.
"Some vowed if Satan canie at last, They did not mean to flee him ; But if a frog they ever passed, Would pretend not to see him."
* The Delaware Company, mentioned on page 293.
¡ A resident of Canterbury, Windham County, and in 1764 and other years a Representative in the General Assembly and a Justice of the Peace.
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and to be and belong to the said 'Forty' and the said 200 persons, over and above their respective shares and proportions in the remainder of the general Purchase." The "Forty" were, first, to have their choice of one of these towns, and then the remaining four towns were to belong to the 200 other settlers-"to be divided out to them by fifties in a town as they shall think proper ; reserving and appropriating three whole rights, or shares, in each town for (1) the public use of a gospel ministry, (2) the first settling minister of the gospel and (3) the support of schools. Reserving, however, to the Company, all beds of minerals, iron-ore and coal that may be within said towns." It was expressly stipulated that these five towns-which subsequently became known as "settling" towns -were to be owned and possessed by the "Forty" and the 200 proprie- tors only upon the following conditions, viz .: That the said proprietors should enter upon the lands within the time mentioned, and that they should continue thereon, "holding and improving the same by them- selves, heirs or assigns, under said Company, for the space of five years after their entry as aforesaid." The Company also declared and deter- mined, by a formal vote :
"That they [the settlers] shall not so disorderly conduct and behave themselves as shall by the Committee be judged inconsistent with the good and interest of said Com- pany ; and that they hold not the same or any part of said Purchase under pretence of any other claim but of said Company. And if the first number approved by said com- mittee shall fall short of forty, and if those approved to join them in the Spring fall short of 200, nevertheless those that so proceed, according to the above vote, to be entitled to their respective parts or shares in the said five towns in full, as though the whole num- ber were complete.
"And in order that proper persons, and such as may appear to be most subservient to the benefit of said Company, may be orderly introduced as first settlers on said lands, it is voted that the following committee be appointed * * to approve of and admit such persons as may offer themselves as first settlers, viz .: Col. Samuel Talcott, Maj. Elizur Talcott, Jonathan Pettebone and Jonathan Root, Esquires, for the county of Hart- ford ; Daniel Lyman, Esq., Mr. Michael Baldwin and Captain Maroch Ward for the county of New Haven ; Samuel Ely, Esq., Mr. Gershom Breed and Capt. Obadiah Gore for New London County ; Mr. Cornelius Hull, Mr. Nathan Birdsey and Mr. Benjamin Seally for the county of Fairfield ; John Smith and Samuel Gray, Esquires, and Mr. John Jenkins for the county of Windham ; Increase Moseley and Samuel Canfield, Esquires, and Benjamin Stevens for Litchfield County ; Mr. William Buck and John Walsworth for the Province of New York ; Timothy Woodbridge, Esq., for the Province of Massa- chusetts ; Isaac Tripp and Job Randall, Esquires, and Mr. Ezra Dean for the Colony of Rhode Island."
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