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 81
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"Voted, That Maj. John Durkee, John Smith, Esq., Mr. Gore,* Vine Elderkin, Mr. Ebenezer Backus, Captain McNeal, Mr. Ezra Dean, Mr. Nicholas De Pui, Mr. Stephen Gardner, Mr. Thomas Dyer, Mr. Michael Baldwin, Mr. Daniel Sherrard, 3d, Mr. Moses Keney and Mr. Noah Phelps be added as a committee to the former Committee of Settlers ; and that the settlers, when they arrive on the land, have power to choose and elect such other gentlemen as they think proper from among themselves as a further addition to said committee.
"In addition to the vote passed at the last meeting, it is now Voted, That a chap- lain or minister, as a teacher and head in religious matters and to carry on religious wor- ship, be provided by the Standing Committee, to go forward with our settlers as soon as may be; and that, as an encouragement, such minister proceeding and carrying on religious worship and services, according to his ability in a wilderness country, shall be entitled to one whole right, or share, in said Purchase, and to such other privilege and encouragement as others whom he goes to serve are entitled ; and it is further recom- mended, to the settlers whom he goes to serve, to provide him sustenance with themselves, according to their ability.
"Voted, That the thanks of this Company be returned to Mr. William Ledlie for his kind services to our friends [of] the 'First Forty' while at Easton under arrest ; and, as a testimony of their grateful sense of his humanity and kindness aforesaid, that he be en- titled to one whole right, or share, with us in the Susquehanna Purchase.
"Voted, That Eliphalet Dyer, Samuel Talcott and Jedidiah Elderkin, or either two of them, be appointed to go, with proper attendants, to Philadelphia and thence to the Court at Easton (by the beginning of June next) to look after the interests of the Company in the Courts there, and to defend the prosecution commenced against sundry of our 'First Forty' who proceeded to settle our lands last Winter ; and that Colonel Tal- cott be one of the Standing [or Executive] Committee in the room of John Smith, Esq., t released."
The Company further resolved at this meeting that "fifty barrels of pork be procured by Samuel Gray, Esq., and Mr. Gershom Breed for the use of the settlers," and that there be raised two dollars on each right held in the Purchase, to be paid to Treasurer George Wyllys, Esq., to defray the charges of the Company ; "and that for the same purpose there be sold one hundred rights at &12 per right-thirty of which [shall be sold] by the Committee of Settlers, twenty by Mr. Ebenezer Backus (all to be sold in the back parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) and six by Ephraim Bowen, Esq., of Providence."
The committee of the Company charged with the duty of approv- ing and enrolling those who desired to constitute the body of 200 set- tlers (see page 466), having gone about their work diligently, with little difficulty soon secured more than the desired number of men. As leader and commander of these settlers in their march to Wyoming Maj. John Durkeet of Norwich, New London County, was selected. He was at that time a Justice of the Peace by appointment of the General Assembly,
* Capt. OBADIAH GORE, of Norwich, Connecticut.
¡Mr. Smith purposed going to Wyoming with the 200 settlers who were soon to set out, and he had already been chosen a member of the Directing Committee or "Committee of Settlers." Hence his release from the Standing Committee.
JOHN DURKEE, the founder and namer of WILKES-BARRÉ ! His daring and praiseworthy deeds as a patriotic, liberty-loving citizen, his able and brilliant services as an officer in the Colonial wars, as well as during the Revolutionary War, and his hardships and sufferings as the brave and judicious leader of the Wyoming settlers of 1769-'72 have been either unknown to or overlooked by every writer of Wyoming history hitherto ! Sixty years ago, or more, Charles Miner, in making some brief references ("History of Wyo- ming," Appendix, page 49) to the Durkee family, wrote : "So far as our knowledge extends the name in Wyoming has ceased to exist but in remembrance." To-day the name of JOHN DURKEE, instead of being fixed in the memories of all Wilkes-Barréans, is only an unknown quantity ! Perhaps this is largely due to these reasons : He never visited Wyoming Valley after the year 1774 ; he died more than 120 years ago and none of his descendants has ever lived here. In the absence from this locality, therefore, of any who, it is presumed, could or would have taken steps to preserve the name and a recollection of the services of JOHN DURKEE, our early writers passed him on to posterity with not much more than the mere mention of his name.
The surname "Durkee" seems to have been generally pronounced in early days as if spelled Durgee ("g" having the hard sound), and often-even as late as 1774-it was frequently spelled, by others than members of the family, in the latter form. John Durkee-the first of this surname of whom the present writer has any information-was born at Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1664. Prior to 1700 he removed to Gloucester in the same Province. He was married (Ist) to Elizabeth -- -, who died September 23, 1711 ; and (2d) December 12, 1713, to Hannah Bennet of Manchester, Massachusetts. He was a Deacon in the Church. About 1720 he removed with his family to the town of Norwich, New London County, Connecti- cut, where he lived until his death, September 11, 1739, at about the age of seventy-five years. He left a large estate. By his two wives "Deacon" John Durkee had fourteen children. His eldest son, John Dur- kee, Jr., was born at Ipswich, Massachusetts, November 23, 1689, and removed with his father's family to Gloucester and thence, about 1720, to the parish of West Farms, in the town of Norwich, Connecticut. In
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1735 he was elected Deacon of the West Farms Church. His wife Mary died December 15, 1732, and in 1738 he was inarried (2d) to Hannah Adgate. In 1746 he was still living in the town of Norwich, and in certain deeds was denominated a "husbandman."
Thomas Durkee and Jeremiah Durkee were two other sons of "Deacon" John Durkee, Sr. They were born in Massachusetts, and both died in Norwich-the one December 26, 1724, and the other January 5, 1725. Another son was Robert Durkee, Ist, who was married at Windham April 27, 1738, to Esther Warren ; while still another son was Andrew Durkee, Ist, who lived in Pomfret, Windham County. In May, 1762, he was dead, being survived by his wife Mary.
William Durkee, fifth child of "Deacon" John and Elizabeth Durkee, was born at Gloucester, Massa- chusetts, January 30, 1700. He removed to Norwich with his father, and a few years later settled in the town of Windham, where he lived until his death. He, like his father and eldest brother, became a Deacon in the Church. He was married (1st) March 8, 1726, to Susannah Sabin, who bore him four children, and died February 8, 1735. "Deacon" William Durkee was married (2d) August 5, 1735, to Elizabeth Ford, who bore him nine children. He died at Windham March 17, 1753, leaving an estate which was inven- toried at £880, 15s. 10d. His widow Elizabeth was subsequently married to Jacob Woodward, and died at Windham March 26, 1757. The second child of "Deacon" William and Susannah (Sabin) Durkee was JOHN DURKEE, the subject of this sketch, and their third child was Mehetabel Durkee (born February 14, 1731), who, prior to 1754, became the wife of James Bidlack of Canterbury, Windham County, Connecti- cut-a sketch of whose life will be found in a subsequent chapter. The third child of "Deacon" William Durkee and his second wife, Elizabeth Ford, was Sarah Durkee, born August 27, 1739, at Windham, and married there November 22, 1754, to her cousin Robert Durkee, 2d, mentioned hereinafter.
Stephen Durkee, the eighth child of "Deacon" Jolin Durkee, Sr., and his first wife, Elizabeth, was born at Gloucester, Massachusetts, June 9, 1706. About 1725 or '26 he settled in the town of Windham, Connecticut, where he was married March 19, 1730, to Lois Multon, who bore him nine children. Their third child was Robert Durkee, 2d (born November 26, 1733 ; killed at Wyoming July 3, 1778), who, as noted above, was married to his cousin Sarah. A sketch of his life will be found in a subsequent chapter. The fourth child of Stephen and Lois ( Multon) Durkee was Andrew Durkee, born November 24, 1737. He was married January 28, 1762, to Mary Benjamin, and their third child, born July 25, 1768, was named Wilkes Durkee. Stephen Durkee died at Windham August 18, 1769.
JOHN DURKEE, second child of "Deacon" William and Susannah (Sabin) Durkee, was born at Wind- ham, Connecticut, December 11, 1728. About 1750 he removed to Norwich, where he was married January 3, 1753, to Martha Wood of that town. Miss Frances M. Caulkins, in her "History of Norwich" (Edition of 1866, page 421), says : "Could the life of this able and valiant soldier [John Durkee] be written in detail, it would form a work of uncommon interest. Only the outlines can now be recovered, but they are of a nature that indicates a career full of adventure and a character deeply imbued with patriotic resolution. He kept an inn, cultivated a farm and was often engaged in public business."
Of the doings of John Durkee before he reached the twenty-eighth year of his life we have been unable to learn anything-except as to his removal to Norwich and his marriage, previously referred to. His entrance upon the stage of public action was made in 1756, as a soldier. As noted on page 297 war was formally declared against France by England in May, 1756, although hostilities had been begun and disas- trous battles had been fought months before that time. In March, 1756, Col. George Washington had twice passed through New London County, Connecticut, going to and returning from Boston on military business. In the same month Joshua Abell and John Durkee of Norwich were appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut, and duly commissioned, Captain and Second Lieutenant, respectively, of the 4th Company of the 2d Connecticut Regiment, raised for service under the Earl of Loudoun against Canada. The Earl had come over to America early in 1756 to take charge of the war for the English. "But," say historians, "he did nothing effective." Says Woodrow Wilson ("History of the American People," II : 90): "The Government at home sent reinforcements, but nothing was done with them that counted for success. 'I dread to hear from America !' exclaimed Pitt." Expeditions against Canada formed a marked feature of the Colonial history of New England. Those enterprises were constantly recurring and con- suming the strength and treasure of the country, without any compensation.
In February, 1757, by enactment of the General Assembly of Connecticut (see "Colonial Records of Connecticut," X : 601), Phineas Lyman (mentioned hereinbefore) was appointed Colonel of the regiment to be raised in the Colony "to act in conjunction with His Majesty's forces under the Earl of Loudoun in the next campaign." Israel Putnam of Pomfret, Windham County, was commissioned Captain of the 4th Company of this regiment, and Adonijah Fitch and John Durkee were commissioned Captain and First Lieutenant, respectively, of the 7th Company-which was to be raised from among the men of the 3d Regiment of the Colony militia. During the greater part of the time that Lyman's regiment was in service it was at Fort Edward, mentioned on page 282. As shown by an original muster-roll on file in the Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Lieutenant John Durkee was in service from February 23d to November 3, 1757.
In March, 1758, the General Assembly of Connecticut voted to raise 5,000 troops, to be divided into four regiments, to be used for the purpose of "invading Canada with the King's forces." (See next to the last paragraph on page 297, ante.) Eliphalet Dyer (see page 393) was at that time commissioned Colonel of the 3d Regiment, and John Durkee was commissioned Captain of the 9th Company of the regi- ment. But Colonel Dyer soon afterwards resigned his commission, and Lieut. Col. Eleazar Fitch (men- tioned on page 448) was promoted Colonel of the regiment. Israel Putnam was Major. The "3d" was one of the organizations that took part in the Ticonderoga expedition mentioned on page 297, and July 3, 1758, the regiment was at "Lake George" and August 16th at "Camp Fort Edward"-as shown by an orig- inal "Memorandum Book, for stores belonging to the Colony of Connecticut," which was kept at the time by Lieut. Zebulon Butler, Quartermaster of the regiment, and which is now in the possession of the Wyo- ming Historical and Geological Society. Captain Durkee was in service with his company throughout the campaign, as is shown by an original muster-roll (dated Fort Edward, October 19, 1758) now preserved in the Connecticut State Library.
One of the privates in Captain Durkee's company who served through the campaign of 1758 was a young man-then in the eighteenth year of his life-who subsequently achieved undying fame as a brave and sagacious officer in the Revolutionary War-Thomas Knowlton of Ashford, Windham County. On the 8th of August was fought the battle of Wood Creek, when Major Putnam of the "3d," having been cap- tured by an Indian warrior, was tied to a tree, where, during a considerable part of the fight, he was ex- posed to the fire of both friends and foes. About the 5th of August a scouting party, embracing Captain Durkee's company, had been sent out from the English camp to intercept or capture the French and Indian stragglers who were thought to be ranging the forests in the vicinity. While thus engaged they found at Wood Creek an encampment bearing marks of recent occupation. There was every indication that the enemy intended to return. Therefore the scouting party took possession of the site and waited for a day or two, but without any result. They then broke camp and started in search of their foes. While cautiously advancing in single file through a heavy forest a storm of bullets was suddenly showered upon them by an ambuscade of French and Indians. So thick was the undergrowth that not a foe was visible, the smoke from the muskets alone revealing their lurking places. The English quickly sought shelter behind the trunks of trees, and then all-officers and soldiers-fought independently of each other.
At an early stage of this battle the attention of Thomas Knowlton was attracted by a quivering among the brakes near by, and a moment later he saw an Indian creeping stealthily into the path over which the English had marched. He immediately shot the Indian, and, having reloaded his musket, sprang forward to secure as a trophy the scalp of the dead warrior. Just as he reached the body ten or twelve Indians jumped out of the underbrush on all sides of him. The boy-soldier, with a boldness and dexterity that for a moment paralyzed the energies of the Indians, shot down the nearest warrior and, bounding
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over his prostrate body, regained his comrades in safety, though pursued by a shower of balls. Mean- while the action had become general, and both parties fought desperately ; but at length the New Eng- landers had become so scattered that all regularity was lost-each one managing and fighting for himself. About that time Knowlton, on entering a small open space, saw a Frenchman enter on the opposite side. Each snapped his musket, but both weapons missed fire. As neither of them had bayonets the French- man endeavored to draw a dirk, but before he could succeed Knowlton had clasped him around the waist and then exerted all his strength to throw him. But the strength of the large and powerful man proved to be too much for the immature though active youth, and so Knowlton was thrown. At that moment, however, Captain Durkee fortunately entered the arena, when the Frenchman begged for quarter. Knowlton having reprimed his gun he and Durkee started to the rear with their prisoner, when he sprang from their grasp and endeavored to escape ; but his flight was quickly stopped by a death-dealing ball from Knowlton's gun. Durkee and Knowlton, who had become separated from the rest of their party by the retreat of the latter, now attempted to regain the main body of troops. After running in different directions, and being shot at several times, they gained the rear of the English unharmed. For the valor exhibited by Knowlton at Wood Creek he was promoted a sergeant, and before the war closed he was commissioned a Lieutenant.
In March, 1759, the General Assembly of Connecticut appointed Phineas Lyman to be Major General of the troops, and Colonel of the 1st Regiment, ordered to be raised in the Colony "for the ensuing cam- paign"-referred to on pages 297 and 298, ante. At the same time Col. Eleazar Fitch, Israel Putnam and John Durkee were appointed and commissioned Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and Major, respectively, of the 4th Regiment, and Major Durkee was also appointed Captain of the 3d Company. (See "Colonial Records of Connecticut," XI : 226.) In April following Major Durkee's company was mustered at Nor- wich (see original roll in the State Library, Hartford), and soon thereafter the Connecticut troops joined General Amherst's command and took part in the campaign which resulted in the expulsion of the French from Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Major Durkee was with his regiment during its whole tour of service in this year.
In March, 1760, the General Assembly of Connecticut resolved to raise 5,000 troops, to be divided into four regiments, to co-operate with the King's forces in "the ensuing expedition (see page 298, ante) against Montreal and all French posts in Canada; and further to annoy the enemy in such manner as His Majesty's commander-in-chief shall judge practicable." In this campaign Colonel Fitch, Lieutenant Colonel Putnam and Major Durkee were again, by appointment of the Assembly, the three principal officers of the 4th Connecticut Regiment. It is interesting to note that in the campaign of 1760, among the Indians who, under the command of Sir William Johnson, formed the third division of Amherst's army, were Cornplanter, Jean Montour and Joseph Brant, previously mentioned. The second division of the army, composed almost wholly of the New England Provincials (including, of course, the Connecticut contingent), was commanded by Col. Frederick Haldimand-seventeen years later Gen. Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor General of the Province of Quebec. (See a sketch of his life in Chapter XIV.)
In March, 1761, Phineas Lyman and John Durkee were appointed and commissioned Colonel and Major, respectively, of the 1st Connecticut Regiment "in the forces to be raised for the [then] current year," and according to an original muster-roll in the State Library, Hartford, Major Durkee was in active service from April till December, 1761. In January, 1762, the King of Great Britain declared war against Spain, and it was decided to send a force of British Regulars and Provincials to capture the City of Havana on the Island of Cuba-the "Key to the New World." In March, 1762, the Connecticut Assembly ap- pointed Phineas Lyman "Major General of the forces, and Colonel of the 1st Regiment, to be raised" in the Colony for the service mentioned. Israel Putnam was appointed and commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Regiment, and John Durkee Major of the regiment and Captain of the 3d Company. Subsequently General Lyman was given command of all the Provincials. The 1st Connecticut Regiment consisted of twelve companies, and all of them except the 10th joined the expedition against Havana. The eleven companies numbered 917 men.
The chief command of this expedition was given to Lord Albemarle, and March 5, 1762, he set sail from Portsmouth, England, with nineteen ships of the line, eighteen smaller men-of-war, and 150 trans- ports with 10,000 troops. This fleet arrived off the harbor of Havana three months later. In the harbor were twelve Spanish ships of the line, and in the fortifications on shore a force of troops numerically equal to the invaders. The British force was safely landed, and on June 12th began the construction of batteries. On the 11th of June the first detachment of troops from the North American Colonies sailed from New York in eleven transports, and some time later the second detachment sailed. The safe arrival of these troops at Havana increased the British force there to the largest that America had ever seen. The Morro Castle (the same old "Morro" of the Spanish-American War of 1898) was taken by assault on the 30th of July, and then the British began to plant batteries against the city. These opened fire August 11th, with- in six hours silenced the defenses, and two days later compelled the Spaniards to enter into a capitulation by which they surrendered the city, all the ships in the harbor and the whole west end of the island. An immense quantity of booty came into the possession of the victors, and a large amount of prize-money was awarded to the Colonial officers and soldiers. During and immediately after the siege the American soldiers were terribly scourged by disease-suffering more from the Cuban climate than from the Spanish soldiers. Large numbers died-on the island and on the homeward voyage-from what was called "putrid fever." The Connecticut troops returned home in November, 1762.
In 1761 Major Durkee became a member of The Susquehanna Company by the purchase of a "half- right" from Isaac Tracy of New London, and in 1763 he was active in helping to organize "The Company of Military Adventurers," mentioned on page 458. He was then, and had been for several years, engaged in mercantile business in Norwich in partnership with Elisha Lord and Joshua Abell, Jr. This partner- ship was dissolved January 11, 1764, but the business was continued at the same stand by Lord, who ad- vertised "a good assortment of English and West India goods; also, good wine." January 23, 1764, an agreement was executed by Messrs. Lord, Durkee and Abell, and placed on record, which set forth that the three men for some years then past had been in partnership, "and have practised and carried on trade and merchantdise in said Norwich and partnership and company in equal proportions ; which partnership ended the 11th instant, and there now remains a considerable quantity of goods, wares and merchantdise on hand, and also the shop and appurtenances where the trade was carried on, and also the sloop Three Friends, of sixty tons (and also her cargo), Capt. Benjamin Edgerton, Master, now at sea, bound on a voyage to the Island of Antigua." Joshua Abell, Jr., sold all his right in the foregoing to Elisha Lord, on the date last mentioned, and shortly thereafter Lord sold to Major Durkee an interest in the business, which thenceforth was continued under the name of Durkee and Lord. Early in 1767 Lord died, "greatly insolvent," and in April of that year Major Durkee was compelled to mortgage his "dwell- ing house and adjacent lands in the town-plot of Norwich, his orchard on the north side of the town street, his lot and barn on the south side of the street, two acres near Needham and ten acres in 'The Quarter,' so called," as well as other property, for debts amounting to upwards of £506 due from Durkee and Lord to Theophilus Beach and Perry and Hayes, New York. About that time-or probably as early as 1765-Major Durkee began keeping an inn on "Bean Hill," in the town of Norwich.
In the Spring of 1765 the British Parliament passed the "Stamp Act," applying to the American Colo- nies. As soon as the fact became known throughout the Colonies very general discontent was manifested by the people, and there sprang into existence an organization-having numerous branches throughout the country-which assumed the name "Sons of Liberty." One of the avowed objects of this organiza- tion was the opposing of the enforcement of the Stamp Act. (A very full account of the Stamp Act, as well as of the Sons of Liberty and their doings, will be found in Chapter X.) The headquarters of the Sons of Liberty in Connecticut was at Norwich, and Major Durkee was, from the beginning, a very active and influential member of the organization. In September, 1765, a band of 500 of the stalwart "Sons" of
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the counties of New London and Windham set out on horseback, with eight days' provisions, determined to find Jared Ingersoll (see page 405 and Chapter X), the newly appointed Stamp Agent for Connecticut, and make him resign his office. The New London contingent of this band crossed the Connecticut River at North Lyme, where quite a number of Lyme "Sons"-including Capt. Zebulon Butler, Benjamin Harvey, Capt. Harris Colt and others joined the party. They marched up the west side of the river, and united with the Windham contingent near the town of Wethersfield.
Major Durkee commanded the combined band (which comprised many men who, a few years later, were to become active and prominent as settlers at Wyoming under The Susquehanna Company), and rode at its head dressed in full military costume, and accompanied by three trumpeters who awoke the echoes with their blasts. The men, who rode two abreast, each bore a ponderous peeled club in im- itation of the baton carried in those days by an officer of the peace. Jared Ingersoll, who happened to be on his way from New Haven to Hartford, was met by the "Sons" near the village of Wethersfield, into the main street of which he was escorted with a flourish of trumpets. The procession having halted and opened ranks, Major Durkee called upon Ingersoll to resign his office. "Is it fair," expostulated the lat- ter, "for two counties to dictate to the rest of the Colony ?" "It doesn't signify to parley ; a great many people are waiting, and you must resign," was the prompt reply. "I must wait to learn the sense of the Government," said Ingersoll. "Here is the sense of the Government," declared Durkee, "and no man shall exercise your office !" "A few moments later Ingersoll wrote his name to the formal resignation prepared for him. That was well, but it was not enough. He was required to swear to it in a loud voice, and then shout 'Liberty and Property !' three times. This last ceremony he performed swinging his hat about his head. He was then escorted to the city of Hartford, a few miles distant, by the 500 club-bearers, riding four abreast, The procession halted at the Court House, where Major Durkee read to a large assemblage of citizens the resignation of Mr. Ingersoll. The latter was then ordered to shout again three times 'Liberty and Property !' After this the Sons of Liberty quietly dispersed to their respective homes."
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