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 II, Part 15

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 680

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 II > Part 15

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"In consequence he [Clayton] met Butler the next day, [July 9th], at about one- half mile distance from the block-house-Butler being accompanied by Ezekiel Peirce and Clayton by Daniel Meade. Butler told what they [the Yankees ] were there for, viz .: that they came under authority and protection of the Government of Connecticut to take possession of the lands there, and were determined to obtain and keep possession of theni at the risk of their lives ; and, pointing to about thirty of his party who were advanced within a small distance, said he wished the right could be determined by their engage- ment with an equal number.§ To all which the deponent (Clayton) answered that he should not dispute with him about the right to the lands, as it was a matter neither of them could determine ; but that the inhabitants having settled there under the Propri- etaries of this Province, he and they would endeavor to maintain their possession until they could have orders from the Government. That deponent suggested that Butler should draw off his party to the opposite side of the River, and that neither party should molest the other until Clayton should receive advices front the Government. This was rejected, and they parted without reaching terms. That from that time he (Clayton),

* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," IX : 767.

+ Fort Wyoming, on the river bank near the present Northampton Street.

# The Lackawanna River, along which, for some distance-as previously explained-ran the "Upper Road to the Delaware," over which Captain Butler and his command marched to Wyoming.

§ Gordon, in his "History of Pennsylvania," refers to this incident, and asserts that Captain Butler proposed to Colonel Clayton that "the rights of the respective claimants should be determined by com- bat, between thirty men to be chosen from each side. But the proposition was rejected." Trial by battle, or "wager of battel"-a combat decisive of the merits of a cause turning on disputed matters of fact-was immemorially in use among the northern nations of Europe up to the sixteenth century ; and, even as late as the latter part of the seventeenth century, it was resorted to on one occasion in Zebulon Butler's own town of Lyme, in Connecticut. Of course that was before his time, but he, just as all other Lymeites, was familiar with the story of the incident. For years there had existed between the people of Lyme and the adjoining town of New London a controversy over a strip of land. It was finally agreed, since the tract was not worth the expense of further litigation, to settle the question-not by committees, courts or legislative enactments, but by a trial of skill and strength between champions selected for the purpose ; which was regarded as leaving it to the Lord to decide ! Dr. Dwight, in his "Travels," refers to the matter in these words : "New London selected two inen, of the names of Picket and Lattimer; Lyme committed its cause to two others, named [Matthew] Griswold and [Williamn] Ely. On a day mutually appointed, the champions appeared in the field and fought with their fists till victory was declared in favor of each of the Lyme combatants. Lyme then quietly took possession of the controverted tract, and has held it undisputed to the present day." This, it is presumed, is the only instance in which a public controversy was ever decided in New England pugnis et calcibus.

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with the rest of the inhabitants in the block-house, kept on their guard to prevent a sur- prise, and laid in what provisions they could, apprehending that Butler and his party would endeavor to put their threats in execution."

From an original unpublished document entitled "List of Settlers, 1771-from 15 July to August 19th," partly in the handwriting of Maj. Ezekiel Peirce, and partly in that of Captain Butler, and now preserved in the collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, we learn the names of tlie Yankee adventurers and their associates who arrived here on July 8th. They numbered sixty-five, and were as follows :

Atherton, Asahel

Gore, Daniel

Reynolds, Christopher

Atherton, James

Gore, Asa

Stewart, Capt. Lazarus

Butler, Capt. Zebulon

Gore, Silas

Stewart, William

Biggers, James

Harris, Peter

Stewart, Lazarus-Jr.

Buck, Lieut. William

Jolley, Capt. John

Smith, Capt. John§

Buck, Aholiab

Jones, Crocker

Smith, Abel

Bellene, Reuben*

Johnson, Edward

Smith, Timothy

Brokaw, John

Lyon, Asa

Staples, John

Chase, John

McClure, Thomas

Stanton, Abraham

Comstock, John

McCoy, Ephraim

Speedy, William

Cook, Richardt

Manvil, Nicholas

Terry, Parshall

Dean, Ezra

Marvin, Capt. David

Terry, Parshall-Jr.

Durkee, Johnį

Marvin, Matthew

Utter, Moses

Dorrance, John

Marvin, Uriah

Van Orman, Brink

Fish, Jabez

Minard, George

Vincent, Isaac

Franklin, Roasel

Parke, William

Whittlesey, Capt. Eliphalet

Follett, Capt. Benjamin

Parkes, Josiah

Williams, Peter

Fish, Elisha

Peirce, Maj. Ezekiel

Wilder, Aaron

French, Thomas

Pelton, Paul

Woodward, Richard

Gardner, Peregrine

Pettebone, Noah-Sr.

Yale, Ozias

Goss, Philip

Post, Stephen

Yale, Enos

Gore, Obadiah

Young, William

Having failed to accomplish anything by his interview with Colonel Clayton, Captain Butler returned with his men to the block-house at Mill Creek, where they settled down to await, not only the arrival of a number of men who, having enlisted for the expedition, had remained behind to attend to their harvests, but also the coming of additional volunteers who were to be hurried forward by the Standing Committee of the Company.

The Hon. Richard Penn, one of the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, having died, his son John, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, em- barked for England at Philadelphia, May 4, 1771, and two days later the Hon. James Hamilton (see page 386, Vol. I), as the oldest member of the Provincial Council, assumed, in conformity with the law, the office of "President," and began to exercise the duties of the Lieutenant Governor. July 10, 1771, having received information from James Tilghman of the crossing of the Delaware by Zebulon Butler and his armed band of "about 500 Connecticut people," and their march Wyo- ming-ward, President Hamilton issued a proclamation in which he referred to the previous attempts of the Connecticut people to settle at Wyoming, and then declared :

"Whereas, We have received intelligence that a number of people of the said Colony of Connecticut are now again assembled in arms, and proceeding on their way to this Province in a hostile and warlike manner, in order violently and forcibly to take posses- sion of the said lands on the Susquehanna ; And Whereas, By an Act of the General Assembly of this Province made in the present year, it is enacted that if any persons, to the number of twelve or more, being unlawfully, riotously and tumultuously assembled together, * * and being required or commanded * * by proclamation in the King's

* Marked, "Deserted August 14th." + Marked, "Dead 30th."

Į Eldest son of Maj. John Durkee. See page 486, Vol. I.

¿ JOHN SMITH, Esq., mentioned on page 692, and the father of Abel and Timothy Smith, whose names follow his in the list here printed.

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name to disperse, : * and not dispersing, but continuing together, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy, and the offenders shall be adjudged felons, and shall suffer death as in case of felony, without benefit of clergy."

In conclusion, all persons were forbidden "to intrude upon, settle or possess any of the aforesaid land, without express permission of the Governinent." This proclamation was printed, and copies of it were sent to the Sheriffs of the counties of Northampton, Berks and Lancaster, "to be disseminated." Of course-as we have previously narrated-be- fore this proclamation reached the public Captain Butler and his "in- truders" had reached Wyoming.

Captain Ogden arrived in Wyoming almost as soon as the Yankees, and at Fort Wyoming he found the inmates in a state of confusion and indecision. To convey immediate intelligence of the situation to head- quarters at Philadelphia seemed to be absolutely necessary, and Ogden himself determined to be the messenger. Leaving the fort on July 12th, in the night-time, he reached Philadelphia three days later, and the next morning (July 16th) appeared before the Provincial Council. He stated* that there were about forty men of the Pennsylvanians at Wyoming "(many others being absent taking care of their harvests on the Dela- ware), and about 150 women and children, who, on the approach of the Connecticut intruders, were obliged to take refuge in a block-house, where they had but a small quantity of provisions, which could not last them longer than about ten days; that unless some relief and assistance were immediately sent to them they would be obliged to abandon their settlements and leave the Connecticut trespassers in possession of their lands and all their fields of wheat and Indian corn ; that they had, there- fore, requested him to come down with all the dispatch in his power and make application to the Government to grant thein assistance."

"The Board, taking this matter into their serious consideration, were of opinion that, in order to bring to. Justice that dangerous villain, Lazarus Stewart, and his daring accomplices, to preserve the Public Peace and prevent such tumults and riots as have heretofore been committed by them, in conjunction with the Connecticut people, it would be expedient and necessary to order the Sheriff and one or more Justices of the Peace of the County of Northampton to proceed without delay to Wyoming, taking with them about 100 men as a posse comitatus, in order to enforce the Riot Act lately passed in this Province. * * * It was therefore agreed that 100 men should be hired to accompany the Sheriff to Wyoming, and that a quantity of provisions should be immediately provided in town [Philadelphia] and sent up to Northampton for their subsistence, and for the relief of the settlers at Wyoming ; and that James Tilghman and Joseph Shippent should proceed without delay to Easton to meet the magistrates of Northampton County, and consult with them upon the proper steps to be taken for the speedy raising of the men needed."

Within a day or two Messrs. Tilghman and Shippen proceeded to Easton, and thence to Bethlehem, where, on July 23d, they wrote to President Hamilton as follows :

"Upon our arrival at Easton we found there every magistrate in the county, who entered very warmly into the matter of raising a number of men to go over to Wyoming ; but, as the harvest is still on hand, and the service not very agreeable, we fear not much is to be done very speedily. The rendezvous is to be on Wednesday evening [July 24th] beyond the mountain, in order to see if an effectual corps can be made up. For if that cannot be immediately done, our opinion is to suspend the attempt somewhat longer till the harvest is secured, and in the meantime to send the people over a small supply of flour. We have seen two persons from the block-house who do not make the situation of the people anything like so distressful as Ogden represented ; for instead of 150 women and children (which always seemed to us very extraordinary ), we cannot find that the num- ber amounts to more than thirty.

* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," IX : 748.

t The one Secretary of the Provincial Land Office and a member of the Council, and the other Secre- tary of the Council, and both then present.

# See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, IV : 419.

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"A letter has been received from [Colonel] Clayton, dated on Sunday morning [July 21st], wherein he says they are all in good spirits ; and the express told us they could very well hold out for a fortnight from that time. If our people had staid on the ground after they heard of the approach of the New Englanders, we think it past a doubt they might have done what they pleased with them-being near double their number ; but there certainly has been bad management some how or other, of which we shall en- deavor to get at the bottoni. The number of the Yankees, as they are called, is reported to be increased to 160, but as this comes from themselves it is not to be depended on. The last express does not think their number is so great. They [the Yankees] have col- lected all the cattle and horses together, and we doubt not but their scheme is to send them off to Jersey, and then to follow them if they find they cannot keep the ground."

At the Pennamite rendezvous "beyond the mountain" on July 24th, "notwithstanding the endeavors used by the magistrates, and by others who were employed in New Jersey to raise men, there assembled not inore than about forty men instead of 100 expected to be raised ; * *

whereupon it was adjudged most advisable to suspend the attempt till the harvest was over, when there would be a greater probability of pro- curing a sufficient force."* It was decided, however, that in the mean- time a party of about twenty inen, under the command of Capt. John Dick, with Capt. Joseph Morris second in command, should be sent off with a supply of flour for the inmates of Fort Wyoming. Messrs. Tilgh- man and Shippen then set out for Bethlehem, leaving instructions with the magistrates, the Sheriff and Charles Stewart-who were present at the rendezvous-that another attempt should be made to raise about sixty men, to meet at Heller's, at the foot of the mountain, t on Monday, August 12th ; which number, with the party to be sent with the flour, and the men then in Fort Wyoming, were judged "sufficient to assist the Sheriff in executing the Riot Act."

Retracing our steps to Wyoming, now, we find that between July 9th and Sunday, July 21st, Captain Butler's force had been increased to ninety-eight effective men by the arrival-in squads of two, four and more, on different days-of the following-namned (thirty-three in number)* :

Anguish, Jacob

Feezler, Henry

Redman, Michael

Baker, John

Feezler, John J.

Rood, Michael

Beach, Amos

Fuller, Stephen

Vincent, Cornelius

Belding, Ezra

Farnum, Levi

Wallworth, Thomas

Bennet, Isaac

Hopson, Jordan

Warner, William

Carey, Eleazar

Hibbard, Ebenezer

Weeks, Bartholomew

Carey, Barnabas

Kintnor, George

Weeks, Jesse

Drake, Nathaniel

North, John

. Weeks, John

Davis, Reuben

Osburn, Jacob

Weeks, Thomas

Dougherty, John

Osburn, John

Willcox, Joseph

Fenton, William

Ricketts, Thomas Williams, William

On Sunday, July 21st, Captain Butler decided that the time had arrived for offensive action on the part of the Yankees, and that night, about twelve o'clock, he mustered all his men and marched them in silence to the vicinity of Fort Wyoming, where, before daylight appeared, they threw up two small redoubts, or intrenchments. One of these was located on the river bank near the junction of the present West River and South Streets (about where the residence of William L. Conyngham stands), and the other on the plain opposite the fort, near the intersec- tion of the present Northampton and Main Streets. Fort Wyoming was within musket-shot of both these intrenchments, which also coin-

* See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," IX : 750.

t A few miles south-east of the Wind Gap, in what is now Plainfield Township, Northampton County. See in Chapter XXIII "Map of North-eastern Pennsylvania."

Į See the original list mentioned on page 694.

697

manded the approaches to the "Pennamites' Path" and the old "War- rior Path," previously described. During Monday these intrenchments were occupied by details from the Yankee force, and thus the invest- ment of Fort Wyoming was begun in earnest. Monday night the Yankees erected two other redoubts, one being located on the north- western shore of the river immediately opposite the Pennamite fort, and the other on the brow of a hill quite near the south-eastern margin of the river and 800 yards north-east of the fort.

At that period a rocky ridge-a spur of the hills which lie south of Mill Creek, within the bounds of what are now the First and the Sixteenth Wards of the city of Wilkes-Barré-extended unbrokenly in a south-westerly direction from that locality, and terminated some- what abruptly on the river bank a few rods north-east of the junction of the present Union and River Streets.

The line of this ridge* is still distinguishable as far as Jackson Street, although Courtright Avenue, North Street and other streets and lanes have been cut through it. Below Jackson Street the ridge has been entirely removed within recent years. First, in 1833, its southernextremity was shaved off when the chan- nel of the North Branch Canal was excavated, and next, in the Summer of 1851, a roadwayt was cut through it-being the ex- tension of River Street northward to connect with The Wilkes-Barré and Providence Plank Road, then about to be construct- ed. The opening of this street, or road, left a dome- shaped mass of rock, some "THE REDOUBT" IN MARCH, 1865. Viewed from near the corner of Union and River Streets.# twenty-five or thirty feet in height, standing between the road and the canal basin, isolated from the main part of the ridge-along whose north- western base, from the canal to North Street, the road ran. Early in the Spring of 1886 this dome-shaped hill was removed, with the exception of a very small section, a few feet in height (shown in the lower illustra- tion on the next page), left standing at the edge of the canal bank. In the Summer of 1886 West Jackson Street was cut through the main part of the ridge to connect with River Street, and two years later the remaining portion of the ridge south-west of Jackson Street was removed.

* A general view of this ridge north-east of North Street, as it was in 1901, is shown in the picture facing the next page.

+ This roadway was excavated under the supervision of Dr. Charles F. Ingham, Capt, Eleazar B. Collings and Mr. Peter McC. Gilchrist, in pursuance of a resolution passed by the Town Council of the borough of Wilkes-Barre. According to the specifications the roadway was constructed "twenty-four feet wide, and on a line and level with the towing-path bridge"-which is shown in the upper illustration on the next page. The cost of cutting the road through the ridge was $540.

# Reproduced from a photograph taken at the time of the great freshet of 1865, described in Chapter XI,VI. The people represented in the picture were watching the rising waters of the Susquehanna.

698

It was upon the southernmost brow of this ridge that the Yankees constructed in July, 1771, their largest redoubt, which they named "Fort Defiance." Its re- mains were "still visi- ble" in 1830,* and the hill had then, for many years, been call- ed "Redoubt Hill." Later it was known simply as "The Re- doubt,"and under this name it is frequently referred to in the fol- lowing pages. After theextension of North River Street through Redoubt Hill the dome-shaped, isolated A VIEW OF "THE REDOUBT" IN 1878. portion of the hill, Looking south-east from the south-western bank of the Canal Basin. previously described, was called "The Re- doubt" (or, as the name was most generally pronounced, and sometimes spelled-even in our local newspapers-"The Red'-out"), and this name it bore till its demolition.

By the erection and occupancy of the four redoubts mentioned Fort Wyoming was com- pletely invested, and all communication with the surrounding country, either by land or water, was entirely cut off. Fort Defiance commanded not only the river (as did the redoubt on the Kings- ton shore), but also the usual approach to the Upper Road to the Delaware. However, the inmates of Fort Wyoming possessed the means of defending themselves so long as their provisions and ammunition should THE REMAINS OF "THE REDOUBT" IN MAY, 1902. last.

* See an article by Prof. Benjamin Silliman of Yale College in the July. 1830, number (Vol. XVIII, No. 2) of The American Journal of Science and Arts.

VIEW FROM THE HILL A SHORT DISTANCE SOUTH-EAST OF THE JUNCTION OF BOWMAN AND SCOTT STREETS. The Hillman Vein Colliery of the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton Coal and Iron Company is shown in the middle-distance, near the center of the picture. Beyond it stretches the ridge described on nage 697

699

Messrs. Tilghman and Shippen, having returned from the "rendez- vous beyond the mountain" (see page 696) to Bethlehem, wrote from the latter place under date of July 26th to Justice Lewis Gordon, as follows* :

"We have received an account this morning from Wyoming that the block-house is invested by four different camps of the Yankees, so that we have ordered Dick's party to be strengthened, and he is determined to get into the block-house with as much flour as he can. In the meantime we must be collecting what force we can to send against them ; and in this service we must request the assistance of the magistracy and the Sheriff, in order to give some relief to the distresses of the people in the block-house, which are greatly increased by the women and children who were out of the place being all driven in. As it is plain a considerable part of this assistance must be procured by the endeavors of Captain Ogden and Mr. [ Charles] Stewart, we hope the Sheriff and magis- trates will co-operate with them and dismiss any resentment which may heretofore have arisen towards the people of the Jerseys-which really ought to give way to considerations of public peace and the relief of the distressed, though it may not be an easy matter totally to suppress it.

"It has been frequently repeated by John Jenningst that the Sheriff and Under Sheriff ought to exert themselves in this service. What he may mean by these repetitions we know not, but as you are the Sheriff's friend it may not be amiss to give him an in- timation of this matter, as it may not only promote the service, but put him on his guard. If men can be got to go to Wioming, the Sheriff or his Under Sheriff must go to make the proclamation required by the Riot Act. We wish it could be settled by Mr. Stewart and the Sheriff how many men could be got from this county. If it could, Mr. Stewart and Ogden would get the remainder from Jersey. If we could make up but sixty good men to add to twenty who will go with Dick, and what are in the fort, we think the business might be done. * * It must really give the greatest concern to every well- wisher to the honor and peace of this Government to see a pack of criminals and intruders putting the power of the Government at defiance. We would have the men who will undertake or engage to go, to be at Heller's on Monday fortnight [August 12, 1771]-if such notice be not countermanded before ; and they must not go there sooner. We pitch upon Heller's for the place of rendezvous because the provisions are there.

"When the Sheriff and Justices arrive at Wioming, it will be proper for some of them to apply to the rioters and demand of them to hear the proclamation mentioned in the Riot Act read amongst them. If they refuse this and use any threats the proclamation must be made with a loud voice, as near to the rioters as the person who makes it can come with safety. Let the Sheriff, or Justice, who makes the proclamation, take with him a few persons for witnesses, who are best acquainted with the persons of the rioters. And there must be twelve, at least, of the rioters together when proclamation is made ; and if they do not disperse within an hour after proclamatiou is made, the Sheriff with the posse may arrest them and make use of force in case they are resisted. But it will be prudential to wait more than an hour before the arrest is attempted. It will be likewise prudent to reason and expostulate with the rioters, in order to induce them to desist from their unlawful undertaking.

"The Sheriff will also have the King's writ for several persons who are amongst the rioters, which he may execute in case the rioters should have the precaution not to appear to the number of twelve or more together. * * If the persons named in the writ should retire to any house or place of defence and refuse to admit the Sheriff, he must first demand entrance, and inform those within that he hath the King's writ. And if they afterwards refuse to open the doors or gates, the Sheriff will be justified in breaking them open and entering to make the arrest. * As from the best information the New England party are in arms, it will be proper that the Sheriff and others should go armed for their own defence and preservation ; but they should not make use of their arms unless reduced to the necessity of doing it by an illegal and violent resistance, in which case force may be opposed to force. However, it is warmly recommended to exer- cise on this unhappy occasion the utmost moderation, discretion and prudence to avoid the effusion of blood ; and that neither the Sheriff nor any of the party strike, fire on or wound any of the rioters unless they are first stricken, fired upon or wounded by the rioters. At the same time that it is required of the Sheriff and Justices and their party to act a spirited and resolute part in endeavoring to bring the offenders to justice, it is not expected or desired that they should expose themselves to any unnecessary danger, or run great hazards, if they should be opposed by numbers so greatly superior as inay leave no probability of succeeding in the attempt. If any arrests should be made, the persons are to be treated with all the humanity and tenderness the case may admit of. As to Lazarus Stewart and others against whom proclamations are issued, and who are supposed to be amongst the rioters, they may be arrested by anybody, and if opposed by force they may use force to take them."

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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 early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume II, Part 15

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press Number of Pages: 680

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 680