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 45
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In the "Bill of Losses" referred to on page 832 the losses of Daniel Gore are stated at £273, 13s. Daniel Gore was married (1st) to Mary Parks, who was born in 1740 and died in Wilkes- Barre Township April 11, 1806; (2d) at Kingston, September 23, 1807, to Mrs. Hannah Finn of Clifford, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Captain Gore died at his home on Jacoh's Plains September 3, 1809. His remains and those of his wife Mary lie in the little grave-yard near Port Bowkley, shown in the picture facing page 722, ante. Three of the children of Capt. Daniel and Mary (Parks) Gore were as follows: (a) Theresa (born February 11, 1771; died May 5, 1854), who became the wife (1st) of Aaron Clark, and (2d) the second wife of Samuel Carey of Jacob's Plains-a survivor of the battle of Wyoming, who was born August 12, 1758, and died April 23, 1843. (b) Lydia, who hecame tbe wife of Capt. Benjamin Bailey (born Norwich, Connecticut, November 7, 1768; died at Ahington, Luzerne County, May 2, 1858); lived for many years in what is now Plains Townsbip, and reared a large family of children. (c) George, born in 1781, in what is now Plains Township; married (1st) to Polly Larned, who died Octoher 25, 1813, in the thirty-third year of her age, and is buried in the Port Bowkley grave-yard previously mentioned; married (2d) to Susanna, a daughter of John Carey of Careytown, Wilkes-Barre Township; removed to New York, and later to Illinois, where he died (in Fulton County) June 8, 1856. By his first wife George Gore had seven children, and by his second wife, six. Two of the sons by the first marriage were Daniel (who was horn March 19, 1803; lived for a number of years at what is now the borough of Wyoming, and died there October 21, 1883) and Joel Rogers Gore. The last-named was horn in Wilkes-Barre Township in March, 1811, and died May 24, 1900, at Chicago, Illinois, where he had lived many years-having been a pioneer physician of that city.
(iii) Silas Gore was born in Norwich, Connecticut, December 28, 1747, and came to Wyoming first in the Spring of 1769 with his brothers Obadiah and Daniel, in the company of settlers led hy Major Durkee-as previously descrihed. He became one of the original proprietors of the town of Wilkes- Barré, and in the first distribution (in 1770) of the lands in the town-plot he drew Lot No. 27. (See page 662.) He took part in the siege of Fort Wyoming in 1771 (see page 694, et seq., and page 713), and in 1772 participated in the final distribution of the Wilkes-Barre lands. (See page 728.) Having disposed of his lands in Wilkes-Barre he made his home in Hanover Township, where he had been admitted as a proprietor. In 1776 he settled in Kingston Township, and there he lived until his death. (See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," V : 211, 219, 231.) In October, 1775, Silas Gore was established by the General Assembly of Connecticut, and subsequently commissioned by Governor Trumbull, Ensign of the 5th, or Hanover, Company of the 24th (Westmoreland) Regiment, Connecticut Militia. This office he held until his removal to Kingston. He took part in the hattle of Wyoming and fell on that bloody field. Letters of administration upon his estate were granted by the Prohate Court of Westmoreland County March 7, 1780, to Abel Yaring- ton and Keziah Gore-Capt. Stephen Fuller being their surety on a bond for £1,000.
Silas Gore was married in 1770 to Keziah (born in 1746), daughter of Yarington of Stonington, Connecticut, and a sister of Ahel Yarington-a sketch of whose life will be found
in a subsequent chapter. During the battle of Wyoming Mrs. Keziah Gore was in Forty Fort with her three young daughters, as previously mentioned under (1) Avery Gore. Some years after the death of Silas Gore his widow became the wife of Benjamin Clark (mentioned on page 729, ante), and they settled in what is now Ulster Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, where he died August 9, 1834, aged eighty-seven years, and where she died August 12, 1837. Silas and Keziah (Yarington) Gore were the parents of three daughters, as follows: (1) Martha (born August 20, 1771; died Feb- ruary 28, 1862); became the wife (Ist) of Jedidiah Shaw (who died in 1800, leaving four children), and (2d) of Jonathan Wilkinson (born in 1770; died in 1835). (2) Lucy, who became the wife of (1) Avery Gore, as previously noted. (3) Rebecca (horn in 1776); married (Ist) in 1796 to James Broffit, who died in October, 1807, and (2d) in 1811 to Josephi Bloom.
(iv) Asa Gore was horn in Norwich, Connecticut, February 28, 1750, and came to Wyoming first in June or July, 1769. His name appears among the names of those attached to the memorial printed on pages 508 and 509, Vol. I. He was subsequently admitted a proprietor in Wilkes-Barre, and at the original distribution of lots in the town-plot (see page 662, ante) he drew Lot No. 2. Later-prohahly about 1773 or '74-he became an inhabitant of Kingston Township, and there he resided until his deatb. (See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," V : 211, 219, 232.) In October, 1777, he was established by the General Asseinbly of Connecticut, and commissioned hy Governor Trumbull, Ensign of the Second, or Kingston, Company of the 24th (West- moreland) Regiment, Connecticut Militia. About that time he was married to Elizabeth (born July 31, 1756), daughter of Richardson and Sarah (Plumb) Avery of Wilkes-Barre, and a younger sister of his sister-in-law Anna (Avery) Gore-previously mentioned. Asa Gore took part with his company in the battle of Wyoming, and fell on the field. The following paragraph-relating to the widow and only child of Asa Gore-is from the Hartford (Connecticut) Times of January 16, 1858. "Asa A. Gore of Preston [New London County ], Connecticut, is a survivor of the Wyoming massacre. He was born June 30, 1778, and when the Indians attacked the place on the 3d of July his mother was taken with himself (then three days old) into Forty Fort. When the fort was taken the Indians took him in their arms, hut soon gave him back to his mother. When he was a fortnight old his mother, with others, fled with him through the wilderness, lying out all night and arriving next day at one John Bracoy's on the east side of the Delaware, where she remained three months and then came to Preston. Mr. Gore has resided there ever since. He has twice represented his town in the Legislature."
Mrs. Elizabeth (Avery) Gore fled from Wyoming as related above, but she returned late in 1779 or early in 1780, and resided here (presumably in Kingston Township) until the Second Pennamite- Yankee War, when she removed to New London County, Connecticut. Her name appears in the West- moreland tax-lists for 1780 and '81. (See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," V : 241, and Hayden's "The Massacre of Wyoming," page 79.) In the "Bill of Losses" referred to on page 832 the losses of Elizabeth Gore are stated at £240.
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(v) Hannah Gore, born at Norwich, Connecticut, May 28, 1752, came with her father, mother, sisters and younger brothers to Wyoming in the Spring of 1772. In the same year, or early in 1773, she was married to Timothy Peirce, and some years subsequently to his death she was married to Thomas Duane, as mentioned on page 711.
(vi) Lucy Gore, born at Norwich, Connecticut, May 28, 1754, was married in 1777 to John Murphy, then of Kingston Township. He came to Wyoming in the Spring of 1769, but whence he came-whether from New England, New York or New Jersey-we are unable to state. His name appears in the list of settlers printed on page 498, Vol. I, and also among the names of the signers of the memorials printed on pages 508 and 509, and 751. John Murphy fell in the battle of Wyoming, and his widow fled with other fugitives through the wilderness to the Delaware River. Kulp, in his "Families of the Wyoming Valley" (II : 813), states relative to Lucy (Gore) Murphy: "Her husband, John Murphy, was killed in the massacre and battle of Wyoming. A son, George Murphy, was born in Esquire Depew's barn, on the Delaware, near Stroudsburg, while she was a fugitive after the battle. She subsequently returned to Wyoming and became the wife of David Smith." The last-named was in 1776 an inhabitant of Pittston Township, but in 1777 and 1778 resided and paid taxes in Exeter. David and Lucy (Gore) Smith were the parents of a daughter Elizabetb, who became the wife of Theophilus Learned (born at Killingly, Connecticut, in 1791) and resided for a time at what is now the borough of Wyoming, and afterwards in the township of Huntington, Luzerne County.
(vii) Sarah Gore, born at Norwich, November 23, 1756, came to Wyoming with other members of her father's family in the Spring of 1772. At the time of the battle of Wyoming she was in Forty Fort. She was married at Wilkes-Barre, January 2, 1782, to Lieut. Lawrence Myers. The following reference to this marriage appears in a letter written at Wilkes-Barre January 4, 1782, by Lieut. Samuel Shippard, addressed to "Col. Zebulon Butler, at Camp Connecticut Huts." "Last Wednesday were married Mr. Myers to Mrs. Sally Gore, and Mr. Baulding [Gideon Baldwin] to Mrs. Fuller. All the respectable inhabitants attended first at the widow Gore's, and in the evening were all desired to attend at Capt. [Stephen] Fuller's," * * *
Lawrence Myers was born in 1754 in Germany, and in 1760 accompanied his parents to America, settling at Frederick, Maryland. April 8, 1777, he was commissioned Lieutenant of Capt. Anthony Selin's company in Baron de Ottendorff's Independent Corps in the Continental service (concerning this corps see Chapter XVIII), and with his company came to Wilkes-Barre in the Spring of 1779 to take part in the Sullivan Expedition-q. v. He was honorably discharged from the military service at Wilkes-Barre in the Spring of 1780, and after his marriage settled in Kingston Township. For a number of years after the erection of Luzerne County he was a Justice of the Peace, being commis- sioned as such, and also as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County, July 7, 1790. From 1799 to 1801, inclusive, he was one of the Commissioners of Luzerne County. When, in the Autumn of 1787, the militia establishment of the county was organized, Lawrence Myers was elected and commissioned Major of the First Battalion, commanded by Lieut. Col. Matthias Hollenback. Major Myers was succeeded in this office in 1790 by Rosewell Welles. Major Myers died at his home in Kingston Township November 26, 1810, being survived by his wife, but no children.
Mrs. Sarah (Gore) Myers was married (2d) at Kingston April 15, 1811, by the Rev. George Lane, to the Rev. Benjamin Bidlack-of whom a sketch will be found in a subsequent chapter. Mrs. Bidlack died in Kingston Township May 20, 1841, and Mr. Bidlack died there November 27, 1845. Their remains lie in Forty Fort Cemetery.
(ix) Samuel Gore, born at Norwich May 24, 1761, came with his parents to Wyoming at the age of eleven years. He resided in Kingston Township-except when compelled by the Indians or Penna- mites to leave the valley-until 1784, when he removed to what is now Sheshequin, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. There he lived until his death, occupied as a farmer, and for some years filling the office of Justice of the Peace. In January, 1832, being an applicant for a pension from the United States, he presented a petition on the subject to the National Congress, a copy of which is printed in Mrs. Perkins' "Early Times on the Susquehanna." The following extracts from it are printed here for the purpose of aiding the reader to form a correct idea of the hardships which were undergone and the services which were performed by the young men of Wyoming Valley during the Revolutionary War.
"That he resided at Wyoming Settlement at the commencement of the late Revolutionary War; that in the year 1777, in the month of May [having just passed his sixteenth birtb-day], he was enrolled in the militia of Capt. Aholiab Buck's company [the Second, or Kingston, Company of the 24th Regi- ment, Connecticut Militia], and took the oath of allegiance, to be true and faithful to the cause then at issue; that in December, the same year, he was drafted on a tour of duty up the river as far as Wysox and Towanda; the command he was attached to took twenty-eight prisoners, men that had served under General Burgoyne the preceding campaign; that in the year 1778 the Settlement was in almost continual alarm the fore part of the season-what added mostly to our fears was, that three companies of soldiers had been enlisted in the Settlement, and had joined the main army of Washington. The militia that was left was on duty the principal part of the time, in fortifying, scouting, and learning the military discipline, till the month of July, when the Settlement was invaded by the British and Indians under the command of Col. John Butler and Brandt [sic], the Indian chief.
"Your petitioner was in the memorable battle and massacre of Wyoming, and narrowly escaped the fate of five brethren, and the officers and principal part of the company to which he belonged. In addition to his misfortune, in running across a bay, or morass, every step over the knees in mud and mire, and the Indians in close pursuit, by over-exertion he caused a breach in his body which has been a painful and troublesome disorder ever since. It is unnecessary to describe the entire destruction of the settlement by the enemy, the dispersions and hardships of the fugitives. Old men, women and children fleeing through the wilderness, carrying with them scarcely enough to support nature by the way. The place was retaken in August or September following, by Col. Zebulon Butler and Capt. Simon Spalding, and a garrison [was] replaced there. Your petitioner returned soon after, and served as a volunteer during the years of 1779, 1780 and 1781, and was subject to be called on in every case of emergency. * * In the year 1782 [sic] Captain Spalding's company was called to join the main army, at headquarters, and a company of invalids was stationed at the post [in Wilkes-Barre], commanded by a Captain Mitchell-soldiers that were not calculated for the woods, scouting, etc. Colonel Denison gave orders to have the militia organized and classed, which took place. John Franklin was chosen Captain. Your petitioner was appointed a Sergeant, and had the command of a class, which was ordered to be ready at the shortest notice to scout the woods and to follow any party of the enemy that should be sent on their murderous excursions. That he performed four tours of scouting that season, of ahout eight days each. Your petitioner never drew any pay, clothing or rations during the contest for Independence, but ammunition *he was supplied with from the Continental store. Had the charge of the family at the time (his father being dead), and had to support himself as well as he could by labor- ing between spells, and frequently ploughing with his musket slung at his back." * * *
Samuel Gore was married about 1785 to Sarah (born April 10, 1764), daughter of Abraham Brokaw, an early settler in Wyoming under The Susquehanna Company. Samuel Gore died May 2, 1834, and his wife died November 17, 1845. Their children were as follows: (1) Samuel K., born in 1787; married to Calista, daughter of (1) Avery Gore; died July 9, 1840. (2) Silas. (3) Sally M. (4) Abraham B. (5) Judith H. (6) Nellie V. (7) George D.
(x) John Gore, youngest child of Capt. Obadiah and Hannah (Parke) Gore, was born at Norwich February 25, 1764, and in the ninth year of his life accompanied his parents to Wyoming. At the time of the battle of July 3, 1778, he was in Forty Fort, whence he fled with his mother and sisters after the capitulation of the fort. Returning to Wyoming later he made his home in Kingston Town- ship, where he lived until his death. During the Second Pennamite. Yankee War he took an active part
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"Voted, That Jonathan Fitch, Mr. Anderson Dana, Capt. William McKerachan, Mr. Caleb Spencer, Capt. Samuel Ransom, Lieut. George Dorrance, Mr. Asahel Buck, Mr. Stephen Harding, Mr. Jolın Jenkins, Jr., Mr. Barrilla Tyler, Jr., Mr. Elijah Witter, Mr. Nathan Kingsley, Mr. John Secord and Mr. Robert Carr be chosen a Committee of Inspection for ye town of Westmoreland."
At Wilkes-Barré, under the date of August 21, 1775, Col. Zebulon Butler wrote to Ellis Hughes*, Esq., of Northumberland County, as followst:
"FRIEND HUGHES : Received yours of the 25th June, 1775. Observed the con- tents ; can't say but I am surprised at it. Can't say but some of your people have met with some rough treatment by some of our people ; but I'm not to answer for that. You mention you have heard that a number of our people are coming to settle in or near your neighborhood, and that you have got the minds of the people and think it not proper, for union ought to be kept among us. Do you think we are blind, or what do you think of us? I own that at this day we, and all the Continent, ought to be united; but do you expect that we will lie still in this difficult day and let you take the advantage of the times and press on settlers to fill up the land, and we lie still because of the times? You may depend on it, we have a mind to settle some of our land where it lies vacant, and you may depend on it that we have no design to disturb or dispossess any person settled either under Pennsylvania or under Connecticut. You mention the thing of shedding blood. I am as much concerned about uniting as you, notwithstanding you talk of your shedding our blood."
Three days later Colonel Butler wrote again to Mr. Hughes, as follows:
"FRIEND HUGHES : It is reported that you and the people near Fishing Creek refuse to allow any of our people to settle on the vacant lands in your neighborhood, under the Connecticut claim. You must know that we are fully determined peaceably to settle the vacant lands in the Susquehannah Purchase, under this Colony [of Connecti- cut]. Any interruption on your part will be properly resented. It is far from our wish or desire to molest any of your settlers during the continuation of their respective leases, provided they are peaceable and quiet subjects ; and we expect that our settlers will be so treated by you and your people. The laws and ordinances of this Colony must be duly observed by our settlers ; neither may you molest or disturb them therein ; neither may you touch their persons or their properties, as you will answer your conduct to the laws of this Colony and the executive Courts therein. We wish peace and a good under- standing between us and you; but you must not expect we will give up our right or re- linquish our claim or by any means stop our settlements to make room for you and your people to fill up the vacant lands upon our Purchase. Therefore, relying upon your hon- ourable observance of the premises, I beg leave to subscribe myself your old friend. * * To be communicated to your settlers."
September 4, 1775, the following letters from the Connecticut Del- egates in the Second Continental Congress, then sitting at Philadelphia, was received at Wilkes-Barré by the persons to whoin it was addressed. " PHILADELPHIA, AUGUST 2ND, 1775.
"Gentm .- It has been represented to ye Continental Congress that there is great danger of discord and contention, if not hostility and bloodshed, between the people set-
with the settlers under The Susquehanna Company; was in the fight at Locust Hill, and was one of the party of Yankees who were arrested by the Pennsylvania authorities in August, 1784, and sent to the jail at Easton.
John Gore was married in 1793 to Elizabeth (born in June, 1764), daughter of Jeremiah and Ann (Paine) Ross, originally of New London, Connecticut, but later of Wilkes-Barre. (For a sketch of the Ross family see a subsequent chapter.) John Gore died at his home in Kingston Township August 4, 1837, and his wife died there September 23, 1838. They were the parents of the following-named children-all born in Kingston Township: (1) Asa, born in 1794; died June 13, 1855, unmarried. (2) Elizabeth, born April 16, 1797; died March 3, 1808. (3) John, born in 1799; married to Ruth Searle. (4) Mary, born July 15, 1801; married October 23, 1839, by the Rev. Benjamin Bidlack, to Moses Wood, Jr., of Wilkes-Barre; died January 20, 1861. (5) George, born in December, 1803; married February 5, 1835, to Harriet (born September 30, 1815), eldest child of Dr. John Smith (mentioned in the last paragraph on page 719, ante) and his wife Mehetabcl (Jenkins) Smith. George Gore died November 16, 1841. (6) Sarah, born May 28, 1806; married July 1, 1836, to John B. Wood of Wilkes- Barré, brother of Moses Wood, mentioned above. John B. Wood (born December 21, 1803) died at Wilkes-Barre April 18, 1877, and his wife died here December 21, 1886. For a sketch of the Wood family see a subsequent chapter. (7) Jeremiah, born in March, 1809; died November 6, 1838, unmarried.
* ELLIS HUGHES (previously mentioned on page 818) was one of the original Justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Northumberland County, commissioned in March, 1772, when the county was erected-as described on page 724, ante. May 1, 1773, Edward Shippen, Jr., and Joseph Shippen, Jr. (hereinbefore mentioned), conveyed to Ellis Hughes 282 acres of land on the left bank of the Susque- hanna, in what is now Columbia County, Pennsylvania. June 27, 1778, Ellis Hughes and Hannah, his wife, conveyed ninety-two acres of the abovementioned tract to William Hughes, a Quaker from Berks County, Pennsylvania, who, in 1787, laid out on said land the present town of Catawissa, nearly oppo- site the mouth of Fishing Creek.
i See "American Archives," Fourth Series, III : 221. See ibid., 259.
§ The original letter was, in 1900, the property of the late J. Ridgway Wright of Wilkes-Barre.
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tling under Connecticut claim and those under Pennsylvania, which would be attended with the most unhappy consequences at this time of general calamity and when we want our whole United strength against our common enemy.
"We are therefore desired to write to you and press upon you the necessity of peace and good order, not only among yourselves, but by no means to give the least disturb- ance or molestation to the persons, property or possessions of those settled under the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania ; and especially to the families, property or possessions of those who are gone as Riflers into the service of their country and to join the army near Boston.
" The Delegates from the Province of Pennsylvania are desired to write to their people, or the heads of them, to urge upon them the same peaceable disposition towards the settlers under Connecticut, that they make no attempts upon the possession of each other, but both sides to remain in peace and quiet, and be cautious and not to interfere in jurisdictions in the exercise of Government, but that they all live together in peace and good order, and unite in the greatest harmony in the common defence. If there should be occasion, you are desired to make no settlement by force nor use any threats for that purpose.
"We are desired by the Congress to write to you the purpose above, and as they may have further to do in this affair we hope your conduct will be such as to give no of- fence to that respectable body.
" We are your friends and Hble Servts, " To " Col. BUTLER, " Esq. DENISON, " Esq. JUDD, " Esq .. SLUMAN, &c. &c. .
[Signed]
"ELIPHALET DYER,*
" ROGER SHERMAN, +
" SILAS DEANE.''
* See page 393, Vol. I.
i ROGER SHERMAN was born in Newton, Massachusetts, April 19, 1721, the son of a shoemaker and farmer, and great-grandson of a prominent citizen of Watertown, Mas- sachusetts, who had emigrated from Eng- land about 1634. In 1743 Roger Sherman removed to New Milford, Connecticut, where, for several years, he worked as a fariner and a shoemaker. While at his bench he used to prop up a book before him, so that he could work and study at the same time. In 1745 he was chosen Surveyor of Lands for New Haven County (in which New Milford was then located), and be- tween the years 1750 and 1760 he carried on a general mercantile business in New Milford. Besides putting to practical use in surveying his knowledge of mathematics, he utilized his knowledge of astronomy in publishing for the years 1750-'61 an al- manac, the title-page of which bore the fol- lowing, in part: "AN ASTRONOMICAL DIARY, OR, AN ALMANACK, * * Wherein is con- tained the Lunations, Eclipses, Mutual As- pects of the Planets, Sun and Moon's Ris- ing & Setting, Rising, Setting & Southing of the Seven Stars, Time of High Water, Courts, Observable Days, Spring Tides, Judgment of the Weather, &c. Calculated for the Lat. of 41 Deg. North, & the Merid- ian of New London in Connecticut, by ROGER SHERMAN."
In 1754 Roger Sherman was admitted to the Bar, and the next year was appointed Justice of the Peace and also elected to rep- resent New Milford in the General Assem- bly of Connecticut. To this latter office he was thrice re-elected. In 1759 he became a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In 1761 he removed from New Milford to New Haven, where he engaged in mer- cantile business, but did not practise law. Three years later he was sent as a Repre- sentative from New Haven to the General Assembly, and in 1766 was elected an As. sistant, or a Member of the Upper House of the Assembly-being continued in this office until 1785. In 1766 he was also made a Judge of the Superior Court of Connecti- cut, which office he held for twenty-three years. From 1765 till 1776 he was Treas- urer of Yale College, and in 1768 received from the college the honorary degree of Master of Arts.
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