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 40

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 40

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But the Yankees were not the only persons who were busying themselves about real estate in the Susquehanna region in the year 1774. Many land-warrants were issued from the Pennsylvania Land Office, particularly in the months of March, June and July, 1774, and under them lands were surveyed and "taken up" in various localities. The following, copied from an original, shows the form of land-war- rant in use under the Pennsylvania Proprietary Government in 1774.

" BY THE PROPRIETARIES.

" Pennsylvania, ss .: WHEREAS, Bertles Shee of the County of Philadelphia hath requested that we would allow him to take up 300 Acres of Land, on the westerly side of Delaware River, adjoining and above lands granted to John Boyle in Northamp- ton County (Provided the same Land does not lie in or interfere with our Manor of Fermior or any of our Manors or appropriated Tracts) for which he agrees to pay to our Use, within the Term of six Months from the Date hereof, at the Rate of Five Pounds Sterling, or value thereof in Current Money of this Province for every Hundred Acres; and also to pay the yearly Quit-rent of One Penny Sterling for every Acre thereof, to Us, our Heirs and Assigns forever, with Interest and Quit-rent, to commence from six Months after Date hereof. These are therefore to authorise and require you to survey, or cause to be surveyed, unto the said Bertles Shee at the Place aforesaid, according to the Method of Townships appointed, the said Quantity of 300 Acres, if not already sur- veyed or appropriated, and make Return thereof into the Secretary's Office, in Order for Confirmation; for which this shall be your sufficient Warrant. Which Warrant and Survey, in case the said Bertles Shee fulfil the above Agreement within six Months from the Date hereof, shall be valid, otherwise void.

" Witness JOHN PENN, Esquire, one of the said Proprietaries, who, as well in his own Right as by Virtue of certain Powers from THOMAS PENN, Esquire, the other Pro- prietary, hath hereunto set his Hand, and caused the Seal of the Land Office to be affixed at Philadelphia, tliis seventeenth Day of March, 1774.

[Signed] "JOHN PENN."

"To JOHN LUKENS, Surveyor-general.

While, at that time, the Proprietaries were disposing of their un- improved lands at the rate of £5 per 100 acres, and an annual quit-rent of one penny per acre for ever, other land-owners in the Province were offering their improved lands (originally acquired from the Propri- etaries) at £45 per 100 acres, and a quit-rent of one penny per acre to be paid to the Proprietaries annually.

· Under numerous warrants 27,800 acres in Northumberland County (chiefly along Tunkhannock and Meshoppen Creeks and the Lacka- wanna River, within the limits of the Susquehanna Purchase) were surveyed in the Summer of 1774 by Charles Stewart (see page 459, Vol. I) for himself, John M. Nesbitt and Isaac Coxe of Philadelphia-

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Stewart's share being one-third of the quantity surveyed. Under war- rants dated March 17, 1774, Lambert Cadwalader (of Philadelphia) and Daniel Frazier each took up 300 acres of land near Buttermilk Falls; and under a warrant dated March 31, 1774, William Corbet took up 330 acres in "Nanticoke Town" (see page 487). In September, 1774, tracts containing 300 acres or more, each, were taken up along the Lacka- wanna River by George Campbell, John M. Nesbitt, Samuel Meredith, Charles Stewart, William Fishbourne, Lambert Cadwalader, Jonathan Serjeant, Jr., and John Van Reed.

In the Summer of 1774 Jesse Lukens*, a son of Surveyor General Lukens (mentioned in the note on page 654, ante), was employed by Thomas Willing of Philadelphia, and others, to go up the Susquehanna with a party of assistants and survey certain lands to be taken up under warrants granted by the Pennsylvania Proprietaries to Willing and his friends. Mr. Lukens kept a pretty full diary of his expedition, extracts from which are printed in Johnson's Historical Record, VIII : 226, et seq. Some of the extracts are as follows :

" August 1, 1774 .- Hired several hands and prepared for the business of the North Branch. August 6 .- In the evening sent off the canoe [from Sunbury]. D. Leary, A. Christ and Jacob Parker in her. August 7 .- About noon set off [on horseback ] and overtook George Field, William Sims and George I. McWilliams. Encamped at McClure's. August 8 .- Set off in the morning. Captain Solomont came in the night to the camp and is now of the company to show T. Willing's 10,000 acres. About two o'clock came to Beechest, nearly opposite the mouth of Oppollopy [Wapwallopen], and waited for the canoe. Evan Owen came from McClure's with us. Mr. Harris met us here, being encamped about two miles up the river. Went to Harris' encampment and stayed all night, a little below the mouth of Shickshining ?. August 9 .- Set off, and about two o'clock arrived at Wioming [Wilkes-Barre]. Near night the canoe came up and encainped opposite to where we lodged. August 10 .- Waited on [Capt. Zebulon] Butler, who behaved with great civility. Sent Sims to Philadelphia. Field went around, and is to meet us at Buttermilk Falls. Captain Solomon returned to the fort. || The canoe set off, and Harris and Wallis for Buttermilk Falls [some twenty miles above Wilkes-Barré].

"August 11 .- Set off [from Wilkes-Barre] up the river. Breakfasted at Chap- man's Mill.[ Came to Lahawanock .** About noon met Solomon and Field. The first bottom above Lahawanock is fine land-about 600 acres. * * Hadsell's is the second large bottom. Came to Buttermilk Falls in the evening and encamped. * * There is the Burches Lakett on the head of Buttermilk Falls Creek, about three miles from our encampment. *

* August 13 .- Went and viewed the lake [Winola] on the head of Buttermilk Falls Creek. About three miles from the camp came to the lake. * *

Captain Solomon went to Wialoosing with John Rinker, [Capt.] John Dick and James Grimes. August 14 .- Christ returned with the horse and the whole party went fishing for trout. Took ten dozen fine trout.

* * * Quilutimack [two miles below Butter- milk Falls] is the next bottom below our camp, where one Jones lives, at the old Indian field and spring, opposite to which Hadsell lived. Monday, August 15 .- Sent Lewis to survey the land at the lake [Winola]. Huntit came to our camp and stayed all night. Lewis and the party returned from surveying the lake, which they completed. August 16 .- Lewis begin to survey our camp and lands adjacent. Made a survey of nearly 1,000 acres, tolerable land. August 17 .- Went and surveyed a piece of land back of Jones', at Quilutimack. August 18 .- Made a small survey on or near the back path, as showed by Jones. Kachlein ?? , Logan||||, and party came to our camp. About noon Sims returned from Philadelphia. We moved up the river to Saughapaughkunk, or Gravelly Island Run, and encamped. Had some talk with Hunt, Wilcox, etc. Wilcox seems to be a cool, determined man.

" August 19 .- Set off about eight o'clock for Hoppeny [Mehoopany]. Called at John Seacord's. Went over the hill and up the river to James Seacord's. [Capt. Alex-

* See page 861, post, for a further reference to him.

+ Capt. JOHN SALMON, mentioned on pages 645 and 689. ¿ Shickshinny Creek.

Į NATHAN BEACH'S plantation, near the present Beach Haven.

| Either Fort Wyoming at Wilkes-Barre, or Lackawanna Fort in the township of Pittston.

1 See page 745, ante. ** Lackawanna River.

It Breeches Pond, later Crooked Lake, and now Lake Winola.

¿¿ PETER KACHLEIN, mentioned on page 669, ante.

#Į AUGUSTIN HUNT.

| | JAMES LOGAN, mentioned in note "*" on page 647.

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ander] Patterson had three farms laid out here. *

* August 20 .- Sent off the canoe at six o'clock for Wialoosing, and at eight o'clock set off by land and came to Mushappe [Standing Stone]. The bottom on which John Depue lives [at Skinner's Eddy ] Patterson sold 1,200 acres, running up to the Wialoosing Falls, about three miles. Cause to Wialoosing in the afternoon, and partly viewed our survey at mouth of Sugar Creek. The striking injustice of this survey is beyond description. [Capt. John] Dick also informed me that the land up Sugar Creek (this stream is between Wialoosing Falls and Wialoosing Creek, on the west side of the river), is really not worth the fees of sur- veying. Job Chillaway* is out hunting, and I cannot therefore get all the information I want on sundry matters. August 21 .- Set off for Messescuni. * August 25 .- Am * informed Mr. [Charles] Stewartt is below at Wialoosing. August 26 .- Mr. Field set off for the fort.} Sent by him to Mr. Stewart that I waited for him at Messescum. * * Mr. Peter Weiser came to the camp; informs me that Mr. Stewart is at Wialoosing and is going up to the line of the Purchase; that he sent down from Nicholas Phillips' for Captain Patterson; that Job Chillaway and John Dick are about ten miles from Wialoo- sing, on the Muncy path, locating lands; that Mr. Stewart was ill treated at Wioming by Captain Fuller?, and that Captain Butler interfered in his behalf. August 27 .- Went out and viewed the land that Lewis is surveying. Some of it is exceeding fine. Found survey lines-marked like Stewart's-through the best. * * August 28 .- Went down to Wialoosing and found Job [Chillaway] at home. August 29 .- Went and viewed the land on Sugar Creek; killed a bear. In the evening Mr. Stewart came down the river to us, Captain Solomon along.

"September 1 .- Sent Lewis to run the back line and divisions of yesterday's work [near Buttermilk Falls]. * * Mr. Lewis returned, but on account that the Yankeys were coming we did not finish. Struck our camp and sent the canoe down the river and set off by land. Met the Yankey party on the hill below Wialoosing, commanded by Captains Ransom|| and Blanchard[ and Lieutenant Marvin. Capt. [Zebulon] Butler in company. Sent the party on, and returned with the gentlemen to Wialoosing. For a party of volunteers they behaved with much order. September 2 .- The foot set off for Wioming under Lieutenant Marvin. The horses lost. About twelve o'clock found them, and about two o'clock set off in company with Messrs. Stewart, Butler, Ransom and Blanchard. About six o'clock came to [Frederick] Vanderlip's **. Our party was en- camped at Depue's, lower end of Tuscarora Bottom. September 3 .- The Wioming gen- tlemen set off early. Lieutenant Marvin rode my horse. *

* Viewed Mr. Shaw's land. There is a fine swamp for meadow runs across it, about sixty perches from the river at the bend, opposite the lower end of an island. * * Upon the whole, situation and quality considered, do report it worth £100 if the Connecticut claim was settled in favor of Pennsylvania. A certain Simeon Cady, a shoemaker, desires a lease of it on the best terms Mr. Shaw will allow. He offered £100 for it. but would pay none until the Yankey claim is settled. Perhaps he had no money. Mr. Depue wants our tract at the Wialoosing Falls, on the west side. Promised him the preference of purchase, and also to send him a barrel of Philadelphia or New England rum by the first opportunity. Struck camp and went down to Vanderlip's and got some butter, etc.

"Sunday, September 4 .- Mr. Harris went out to work with a party. Sent Sims to Vanderlip's for corn and milk. We have about three pounds of flour only; bacon almost gone, and no kind of meat. James Grimes, John Dick's man, went down the river, and says John Dick does not go into the woods until he returns, and that will be a week. Job Chillaway and his wife came to the camp. We pitched a tent for them. *

* Sep tember 7 .- Sent off a party with written instructions. Went in the canoe for Wioming in order to procure provisions. The party consisted of Mr. Harris, Lewis, Wallis, Sims and Christ. Mr. Lewis rode my dun [horse]. * On ye west side, about a mile *

above Buttermilk [Falls], begius ye bottom on which Thomas Willing, Esq., hath five warrants, and runs down to Strong's saw-mill creek. Quilutimack two islands is about two miles below Buttermilk. About a mile below Quilutimack begins the bottom on Little Mill Creek, tt ye first creek, or run, above Lahawanock. Here is 600 acres most excellent land. On ye west side, opposite to ye lower end, begins H. Williamson's rag- ged bottom, the lower end of which is opposite Mr. Purviance's upper corner. Then comes in a narrows, ¿¿ about one-half a mile to ye islands, ?? and then is Abraham's Flats. About 200 yards below Lahawanock Fort|| || is high rocks, which continue nearly to Mana- hanunkIf Island. In the evening came to Wioming. September 8 .- Sent Dennis, Jacobs and George down with ye canoe. Sims joined me with ye horses. Went to Mr. Chapman's mill on foot. No flour to be procured at any rate. September 9 .- Set off in

* Mentioned on page 701. + Mentioned on page 459, Vol. I.

Evidently Fort Augusta, at Sunbury. ¿ STEPHEN FULLER, mentioned on page 717, ante.

| Capt. SAMUEL RANSOM, a sketch of whose life will be found hereinafter.

IJEREMIAH BLANCHARD, of Pittston, mentioned hereinafter.

** See page 817, post. ff Now Gardner's Creek.

## Above Campbell's Ledge, or Dial Rock. See page 234, Vol. I.

22 Now Scovell's Island, described on page 50, Vol. I.

| || Pittston, or Lackawanna, Fort, erected by the Yankee settlers.

I{ Monocanock, described on page 51, Vol. I.

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ye morning in company with Mr. [Joseph] Sluman for ye fort *. Captain Butler accom- panied us to Hunlock'st. * * September 10 .- Came in the evening to the fort. Met Mr. [Charles] Stewart."

At Wilkes-Barré, September 30, 1774, a town-meeting of the in- habitants of Westmoreland was held, at which Capt. Zebulon Butler and Joseph Slumnan, Esq., were chosen Representatives to the next General Assembly of Connecticut. "These," says Miner, "were the first persons admitted to the full participation of the rights of members- not as delegates from territories, having a power to debate but not a right to vote, but voting on all questions that arose, uniting in making laws for the rest of the Colony as the other members inade laws for Westmoreland; and from thenceforth Wyoming, or Westmoreland, was in all respects a part of Connecticut-as much so as Stonington, or Say- brook, or Hartford, or New Haven."} The Assembly convened at New Haven on the 13th of October, and Captain Butler and Mr. Sluman were present as members of the Lower House. On the 15th of October they presented to the House a "memorial" signed by themselves as "Agents for the town of Westmoreland, and for the proprietors and settlers of lands lying within this [Connecticut] Colony west of the line of said Westmoreland." This document§, which is in the hand- writing of Capt. Solomon Strong (who is several times referred to here- inafter) sets forth the action taken by the General Assembly in October, 1773|| ; next refers to the incorporation of the town of Westmoreland, and then continues as follows :

"Your memorialists with their families, now at said town of Westmoreland, con- sist of about one hundred and twenty-six persons (whose land that belongs to them lieth on the West Branch of the Susquehannah River), who are now waiting to remove them- selves and settle thereon. And your memorialists who are proprietors and settlers of the land lying west of your said town of Westmoreland, and within the limits and jurisdic- tion of the Colony of Connecticut, with their families, are upwards of two hundred families. And your memorialists having (from their birth and education ) a most inviol- able attachment to the Constitution and Government of your Honours, and impressed with sentiments of loyalty, affection, and zeal for the present and future greatness, tran- quillity and glory of this Colony-principles which in a far more eminent manner reside in your Honours' minds, and guide and influence all your publick measures[-beg leave humbly to approach your Honours as the great parens patriae, the supreme power within this Colony, with grateful sentiments for your Honours' care for our good, peace and safety, heretofore exercised toward us by incorporating us of said Westmoreland into a town, do trust that the same benevolent intentions still influence your Honours, and that nothing will be wanting, on the part of your Honours, to perfect the good which has begun towards us your dutiful subjects, who were but few in number when we first came up hither, but now, by the good hand of our God upon us, are beconie a multitude; and

* Fort Augusta, at Sunbury.

+ The plantation of Jonathan Hunlock, who, about a year previously, had come from Lower Smith- field Township, on the Delaware, and settled on the right bank of the Susquehanna, about three miles below Wyoming Valley, near the mouth of a good-sized creek called by the Indians " Mossacota," but now known as Hunlock's Creek.

į In 1775 the General Assembly of Connecticut was composed of one or two Deputies from each of the towns of the Colony-just as for many years previously, and subsequently until the adoption of the Constitution of 1818. (See note "*" on page 809.) Ever since 1818 the "land of steady habits" has been under the operation of a Constitution based on the principle that the towns as such, and not the voters, should be represented in its Legislature ; the idea being that the towns existed before the State, and that the towns made the State. In 1902 a Constitutional Convention sat at Hartford for four and a-half months and framed a new Constitution for the State, the principle feature of which was a provision for a Senate of forty-five members, and a House composed of one Representative from each town having a population of 2,000 or less, and two Representatives from each town having a population between 2,000 and 5,000, with one additional Representative for each additional 5,000 of population. However, the adoption of this Con- stitution was defeated at the polls by the people, by a very decisive imajority, and Connecticut continues to be guided by the Constitution of 1818.

¿ The original is " No. 57 " in the volume of MSS. entitled " Susquehanna Settlers, 1755-1796, Vol. I "- mentioned on page 29, Vol. I.

|| See page 776, ante.

" A few months before this memorial was written Thomas Hutchinson, the former Tory Governor of Massachusetts (see page 615, Vol. I), then in London, was questioned at great length by the King relative to various existing conditions in the American Colonies. Concerning the inhabitants of Connecticut Governor Hutchinson said : "They are a more cautious people ; strive to make as little noise as may be, and have in general retained a good share of that virtue which is peculiarly necessary in such a forum of government." (See Larned's "History for Ready Reference," V : 3213.)

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to observe that the jurisdiction erected by your Honours is inadequate to answer the ends and purposes of government in our situation, for that all our writs, which are not cognizable before a single Minister, are returnable to Litchfield, which necessarily occa- sions an enormous expense to the suitors. And our not having any jail, and being unable by law to transport any man's person across the Province of New York-it being another jurisdiction-executions are thereby rendered in a great measure ineffectual; debtors enabled to avoid payment of their just debts; and criminals of every kind, almost, to escape justice; by reason whereof your memorialists are greatly embarrassed, perplexed and exposed; living under a civil government without much of its benefits; living in such a situation as that it cannot, with only the power already given, be thor- oughly administered, nor the noble end and design thereof be fully answered.

"And as many of your memorialists, who are settlers and proprietors of lands lying west of said town of Westmoreland within this Colony, labour under great diffi- culties in continuing and proceeding in our just claims and settlements without civil government established among us; and to relinquish our settlements and lands, acquired with great hazard, labour and expense, will be attended with risk of a total loss of theni bothi to this Colony and your memorialists. And whereas, the constituting and erect- ing a county within the following limits and boundaries, viz : to extend west of the western boundaries of the Susquehanna Purchase; and to bound north and south on the Colony line, exclusive of that part of said purchase as is taken off by the line lately set- tled with the Indians at Fort Stanwix, invested with powers, privileges, jurisdictions, &c., which other counties in this Colony are, viz : that of having and holding county courts, and courts of probate, having a Sheriff, a jail, &c., would remedy most of the difficulties which your memorialists labor under, and make your memorialists happy and comfortable. Or if your Honours should not think it best to erect a county, &c., as prayed for, that your Honours would at this time either extend the limits of said town of Westmoreland to the western boundaries of Susquehannah Purchase, and north and south on the Colony line, exclusive of the land taken off by the Indians' line as above, or divide the same into towns by the easternmost branch of said Susquehannah River, and to extend as above described or in some other way grant relief to your memorialists, as in your wisdom you shall think best; and your memorialists as in duty bound shall ever pray."

By both Houses of the Assembly it was resolved that "the con- sideration of this memorial be referred to the General Assembly" that would meet in May, 1775. A few days later Governor Trumbull pre- sented to the Assembly, for its consideration, a document whichi he had drawn up in behalf of "the Governor and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut," answering certain queries contained in a letter sent out by the Earl of Dartmouth, His Majesty's Secretary of State, under date of July 5, 1773. The Governor's answer contained, among other matters, the following* :

"A number of the inhabitants of this Colony, called the Susquehannah and Dela- ware Companies, in the year 1754, for great and valuable considerations in money, paid and satisfied to the Indians of the Six Nations, purchased of them (as early as they, the aboriginal proprietors, were willing to grant and convey) their title to a large tract of land within the bounds and limits of this Colony, lying west of the River Delaware, and from thence spreading over the East and West Branches of the Susqueliannah River. Since such purchases a great number of our inhabitants have made settlements thereon. The General Assembly of this Colony have asserted their claim to those lands, and tlie inhabitants dwelling within the bounds of this Colony, on the west side of the Delaware River, are made and constituted a distinct Town, with like powers and privileges as other towns in this Colony by law have, within the following bounds, viz .: Bounded east by Delaware River, north by the northern bound of the Colony, west by a north and south line across the Colony at fifteen miles distance west from a place on the Susquehannah River called Wyoming, and south by the south line of this Colony. Which town is called by the name of Westmoreland, and is annexed to the county of Litchfield.

"The Proprietaries of Pennsylvania dispute the right of this Colony to those lands; they refuse to join to run or to settle the line between this Colony and that Province."t

* See "Colonial Records of Connecticut," XIV : 495, et seq.

¡ Among the " Penn Manuscripts " (folio 139), mentioned on page 30, Vol. I, is an original opinion on the Connecticut-Pennsylvania case in the handwriting of and signed by Alexander Wedderburn (see notes 011 pages 441 and 546), at the time Solicitor General of England. The document is dated August 8, 1774 (about the time Governor Trumbull prepared the abovementioned communication to the Secretary of State), and reads in part as follows : "This Petition only prays a declaration of the Western Bound- ary of Connecticut, which, if it were made in the very terms of the Petition, would leave the question in the same state that it found it. For the Colony of Connecticut admits that it is bounded on the westward by the Province of New York, but contends that where New York ceases the right of Connecticut goes on against all subsequent grants. This proposition may be false, but it is not unintelligible nor absurd, and the truth or falsehood of it can only be decided upon a precise application to the Crown to de-

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The Assembly directed that 600 copies of the aformentioned queries and answers should be printed and distributed. It is interesting to note that at that time the following important officials of the Colony of Connecticut were very much interested, in one way or another, in the affairs of The Susquehanna Company : Jonathan Trumbull, Governor; Eliphalet Dyer, Roger Sherman, William Samuel Jolinson and Oliver Wolcott, Assistants, or members of the Upper House of the Assembly; George Wyllys, Secretary of the Colony.

At a town-meeting held at Wilkes-Barré October 17, 1774, it was voted that Lieut. Elijah Shoemaker, Mr. Solomon Johnson, Mr. John Jenkins, Capt. Timothy Smith and Mr. Douglass Davidson be a com- mittee to meet such gentlemen as should be appointed at or near the Delaware River "to inark out a road from that river to the Susque- hanna." A few days later the following communication was received at Wilkes-Barré :

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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 40

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