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 57

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 57

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At that time Washington was in sore need of more soldiers, and had been for months previously. He had been continually appealing to Congress for men who should be enlisted to serve throughout the war, and he had graphically and feelingly represented to that body how vain it was to expect him to conduct the war to a successful issue with men serving for only a few weeks or months at a time; since often on the eve of what might prove to be a decisive battle, the term of enlistment of the men having expired, they would quit the army and go home to plow and plant their fields. "The best that could be said for Wash- ington's army [early in September, 1776] was, that it contained good inaterial. As a whole, it was little else than a posse of armed citizens, for the most part brave and determined men, but lacking effective organization and discipline, and most of them without experience. * * The soldiers represented all classes of society. Among officers and men were clergymien, lawyers, physicians, planters, mechanics, trades- men and laborers, mostly native Americans, of good English blood, witli a sprinkling of Germans, Scots and Irishmen. Most of them were indif- ferently equipped. The old flint-lock piece was the cominon arın; bayo- nets were scarce, and so also were uniforms. *

* The larger number of troops were in citizens' clothes. The army numbered, according to official returns, less than 20,000 men."*

On the very day that the battle of Harlem Heights was fought (fol- lowing the evacuation of New York City by the American forces-as mentioned on page 485, Vol. I), which was one day prior to the inuster- ing of the Westmoreland Independent Companies into the Continental service at Wilkes-Barré, Congress resolved that eighty-eight battalions should be enlisted as soon as possible " to serve during the present war."

* Bryant's "History of the United States, " III : 494.

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The quota of Connecticut was fixed at eight battalions and that of Penn- sylvania at twelve, and it was enacted that a bounty of 100 acres of land and twenty dollars in money should be given to each non-commis- sioned officer and private who would enlist. It was also enacted that the appointment of all officers, and the providing of "arins, clothing, and every necessary, for each quota of troops," should be left to the several Colonial or State Governments; but that all officers should be commissioned by Congress. At the October (1776) session of the Gen- eral Assembly of Connecticut that body passed the following vote *:

"Resolved, That in compliance with the resolution of the Congress of the United States of the 16th September last and of the 8th October, inst., eight battalions be im- mediately raised out of the troops belonging to this State now in the army, and such other inhabitants of this State as will voluntarily inlist, to serve during the war, on the generous encouragement offered by Congress."

As mentioned on page 485, Vol. I, the battle of White Plains, New York, took place October 28, 1776, followed by the surrender of Fort Washington on November 16th and the abandonnent of Fort Lee four days later. The victorious British followed up their successes in New York by closely pursuing the Americans on their retreat into New Jersey, and on November 28th Washington abandoned Newark and retreated across the Passaic River before Cornwallis. The diminution of the American army by the departure of those whose terms of service had expired, encouraged the British to pursue the remaining force with the prospect of annihilating it. The pursuit was urged with so inuch rapidity that the rear of the American army, pulling down bridges, was often within sight and shot of the van of the British, building them 11p. The American army, says Marshall, "at no time during this retreat exceeded 4,000 men, and on reaching the Delaware was reduced to less than 3,000, of whom not quite one-third were militia of New Jersey. The commander-in-chief found himself at the head of this small band of soldiers, dispirited by their losses and fatigues, retreating, almost naked and bare-footed, in the cold of November and December, before a numerous, well-appointed and victorious ariny."

December 2d Washington, with Lord Cornwallis pushing upon his rear, retired through Princeton to Trenton, and a few days later crossed the Delaware and went into camp near McConkey's Ferry (now Taylors- ville), Bucks County, Pennsylvania, some eight miles above Trenton. "The British stopped at the Delaware ; but their lines reached Burling- ton, within eighteen miles of Philadelphia, and from Trenton, which they held in some force, extended through Princeton to New Bruns- wick and their headquarters at New York. Philadelphia was stricken with utter panic. Sick and ragged soldiers poured in from Washing- ton's camp (living evidences of what straits he was in), and had to be succored and taken care of ; the country roads were crowded with vehicles leaving the town laden with women and children and house- hold goods."t

In the midst of this general excitement and almost consternation, the Congress exhibited an alarm and indecision exceedingly injurious to the American cause, and Washington despatched Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam to Philadelphia to direct the defenses. He arrived there Decem- ber 12, 1776, and immediately assumed military command of the city.

* See "Records of the State of Connecticut," I : 12.

+ Wilson's "History of the American People," II : 260.

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The same day the Congress, having previously voted that they would not quit Philadelphia, passed a resolution setting forth that " whereas the movements of the enemy have now rendered this city [Philadel- phia] the seat of war," &c., they (the Congress) would adjourn to meet at Baltimore. Then they proceeded to get out of the city with very little delay ; but before doing so they passed the following :*

" Resolved, That the two companies raised in the town of Westmoreland be ordered to join General Washington with all possible expedition."

News of this action of the Congress had. not yet reached Wilkes- Barré on December 18th, as is indicated by the letter of Major Judd to Governor Trumbull printed in the next to the last paragraph on page 824, ante. A few days later, however, Captain Durkee came home post- haste, bringing the (to him) welcome orders of Congress, and immedi- ately preparations were begun to hasten the departure of the Westmore- land companies for the front.

Arrangements having been made by Colonel Butler for pack-horses and provisionst for the use of the troops, they set out on their march from Wilkes-Barré on Wednesday, January 1, 1777, purposing to join Washington in Bucks County. Miner states ("History of Wyoming," page 195) that they "marched with the utmost alacrity ; not a murmur was heard, for every man felt that the case was one of imperious neces- sity. Yet not one of them entertained a doubt but that, the moment affairs below the mountains were restored to a state. of tolerable order, the pledge to be stationed in proper places to defend their homest would be regarded in good faith, and the soldiers ordered back to the Valley." They were accompanied by Colonel Butler, and their route was over the lower road to the Delaware, or "the Pennamites' Path " (see pages 646 and 878), as far as the Wind Gap, and thence to Easton. Their progress was tedious and toilsome. The weather had been excessively cold about the 20th of December, and the upper Delaware had been frozen over. Then there was a thaw, and the river broke up and was full of floating cakes of ice when Washington crossed it with his troops at McConkey's Ferry on Christmas-day, as related on page 485, Vol. I. A few days later a heavy fall of snow followed by a hail-storm occurred throughout central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. January 1st it rained hard, and in the night of the 2d the weather became intensely cold, and continued so for a number of days; for we are told that the soldiers marching towards Morristown on January 4th and 5th " suffered great- ly from the cold." January 15th the Delaware was closed so that wagons crossed on the ice.

When the Westinoreland companies reached Easton they learned that Washington had crossed the Delaware, had fought the battles of

* See "The Journals of Congress," II : 466.

+ The following is a copy of a statement in the handwriting of Col. Zebulon Butler, preserved in the collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, and now printed for the first time. "STATES OF AMERICA TO ZEBN. BUTLER, DR.

"For expence of Continental Troops, March from Westmoreland to Morristown, 9 January, 1777.

Dollars.

To paid 18 pack-horses 117 miles, 14733

8 men with [the] pack-horses, 60

= expence for pack-horses and men, 119

for soldiers' victuals on their march,

expence of myself and horse and time, 30

424.

T. Mifflin, Quartermaster General, directs settlement of above account, £159. Jannary 13, 1777, Zeb. ulon Butler receives of Abraham Berlin, A. Q. M. G., £159." 424 dollars @ ;sh. 6d .= 3180sh .= £159.

# See page 883.

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Trenton and Princeton (see pages 362 and 485, Vol. I), and was march- ing to Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, to go into Winter-quar- ters. After a couple of days spent at Easton for rest and recuperation, and possibly to await further orders as to whither they should proceed, the inen from Wyoming crossed the Delaware at or near Easton and marched directly to Morristown, which they reached January 9th, three days after Washington had established his headquarters there. A few days later, it seems, Captain Ransom of the Second Westmoreland Inde- pendent Company performned sonie service which called forth the per- sonal thanks of General Washiington, as is shown by the following extract from a letter* written by the latter at Morristown, January 19, 1777, to Adjt. Gen. Joseph Reed at Princeton. "I have wrote a line of thanks myself to Captain Ransom, and when you see Colonel White please to express the sense I entertain of his conduct and those of the other two gentlemen who were with him on that occasion."

Either at Easton, or while on the march thence to Morristown, Captain Durkee's company was joined by Waterman Baldwin, t a young 111an just nineteen years of age, who was returning to his home in Wyoming Valley after having served a term of enlistment in one of the Connecticut regiments in Washington's army. His elder brother, Thomas, was Third Sergeant of Durkee's company. Two days after the companies went into camp at Morristown Parshall Terry, Jr.,¿ a private in Durkee's company, deserted ; a week later Adam Showers, § of the same company, deserted, and in the following April Thomas Hill|| and Martin Nelson deserted.

About the middle of January, 1777, a line of rude fortifications along the Millstone River, in the direction of Princeton, New Jersey, was thrown up and occupied by a part of the Continental army. One

* See the Pennsylvania Magazine, XXII : 247.

+ WATERMAN BALDWIN was born at Norwich, Connecticut, January 8, 1758. He was a resident of Pittston Township, Wyoming Valley, for some twenty-five years prior to 1798, when he removed to Elmira, New York. Later, for a number of years, he was a United States Indian Agent at Starkie, New York. He died at Elmira April 21, 1810.

# PARSHALL TERRY, JR., was the son of Parshall Terry, Sr., who was one of the original settlers in Wyoming Valley under the auspices of The Susquehanna Company in 1762-'63 (see note "T" page 403, and also pages 404 and 431), and whose name is several times mentioned in these pages. He (the father) was a private in the 24th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, in 1778; took part in the battle of July 3d, and subsequently served as a militia-man at the Continental post in Wilkes-Barre under the command of Col. Zebulon Butler. (See a subsequent chapter.) Parshall Terry, Sr., resided in Kingston Township until about 1790, when he removed to Wyalusing; later going to Terrytown (in what is now Bradford County, Pennsylvania), whence he went, in 1808, to Palmyra, New York, where he lived until his death. Parshall Terry, Jr., seems to have been mus- tered into service in Captain Dur- kee's company on or about Septem- ber 17, 1776-as is indicated by his order on Paymaster Butler, here- with reproduced. The original order -save the signature-is in the hand- writing of Ezekiel Peirce, and the body of it reads as follows: "Col- onel BUTLER. Sir: Please to pay unto Mr. BENJAMIN HARVEY Six dollars and two-thirds of my second month's wages, and this shall be your discharge for ye same."

Coll Butter fir Nego to pay unity an two legs Bryn Harvey Site follows & aTe of my son mounths wages & this Shall be your Discharge Lory Same Wortmore Ton Canhall Temy on october ig - 1776

Craft, in his "History of Brad- ford County, Pennsylvania," has the following to say about Parshall Ter- ry. Jr. "Several deserters from the Reduced photo-reproduction of the original order referred to in the text. It is in the possession of the author. American army about this time [the Spring of 1777] came to reside at Tioga Point and Sheshequin. Prom- inent among them were Parshall Terry, Jr., Thomas Hill and Thomas Green- the two former having enlisted in Ransom's [sic] com- pany at Wyoming. After [?] the company joined Washington's army Terry, who was a spirited young man, stopped on the march to fix his shoe. His Captain ordered him to fall in and go on. Some words passed. The Captain struck Terry with his sword, and Terry knocked the Captain down. Knowing well the penalty which would be inflicted for this breach of military law, he deserted and came to Wyoming, where he was married to Amy Stevens. But receiving no sympathy from his own relatives,

903

of these fortifications was at the village of Millstone (Somerset Court House), in Somerset County, and there the Westmoreland Independent Companies were posted with about 300 New Jersey militia, all under the command of Brig. Gen. Philemon Dickinson. At that time Somer- set County lay at the mercy of the enemy, whose foraging parties went out front New Brunswick (where Howe had quartered his troops), gatli- ering everything they could lay their hands on, and maltreating the in- habitants most cruelly whenever any resistance was offered. One day an American party destroyed some boats ascending the Raritan River (into which the Millstone flows), laden with provisions for the British at New Brunswick. The latter accordingly sent out a foraging party to collect supplies from the country-particularly from Abraham Van Nest's mill at Weston (about two miles from Somerset Court House and not far from the present towns of Somerville and Bound Brook), in which a considerable quantity of flour had been collected for the use of the American troops. The British arrived at the mill early in the morning of January 20th, whereupon General Dickinson marched his whole force of troops from Somerset Court House to the bridge across the Millstone at Weston. What took place there is described in the fol- lowing letter, written at Raritan, New Jersey, January 23, 1777, and printed six days later in The Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Adver- tiser, at Philadelphia.

"Last Monday [January 20] a party of Jersey militia and Pennsylvania riflemen marched to attack a body of the enemy, consisting of about 600, who were posted at a bridge at Millstone River, near Abraham Van Nest's mill, which is two miles from Som- erset Court House. In order more effectually to prevent our men from crossing, the enemy had placed three field-pieces on a hill, about fifty yards from the bridge. When our nien found it impossible to cross there, they went down the river, broke through the ice, waded across the river up to their middles, flanked the enemy, routed them, and took forty-three baggage-wagons, 104 horses, 115 head of cattle and about sixty or seventy sheep. We lost four or five men. We took twelve prisoners, and from the best accounts the enemy had about twenty-four or twenty-five killed and wounded. A man who came from New Brunswick this afternoon says the enemy allow that they lost thirty-five or thirty-six men, but say the rebels lost 300. There were not more than 400 of our men crossed the river. The enemy report that they were attacked by 3,000 of General Wash- ington's troops, and were absolutely certain they were not militia. They were sure that no militia would fight in that way!"

Washington, writing to the President of Congress under the date of January 22, 1777, made the following reference to the fight at Mill- stone River.

" General Dickinson, with about 400 militia, has defeated a foraging party of the enemy of an equal number, and has taken forty wagons and upwards of 100 horses (most of them of the English draft breed), and a number of sheep and cattle which they had collected. The enemy retreated with so much precipitation that General Dickinson had only an opportunity of making nine prisoners. They were observed to carry off a great many dead and wounded in light wagons. * * General Dickinson's behavior reflects the highest honor on him; for, though his troops were all raw, he led them through the river, middle deep, and gave the enemy so severe a charge that, although supported by three field-pieces, they gave way and left their convoy."

who were all decided and active Whigs, he retired to Sheshequin, joined Butler's Royal Greens, was promoted to a lieutenancy and became an active partizan during the war, after which he retired to Can- ada, where he was honored with several important offices under the British Government, and was sub- sequently drowned." Parshall Terry, Jr., was with Butler's "Rangers" at the battle of Wyoming.

§ Undoubtedly a relative of Michael Showers, a decided Tory who lived in the North District of Westmoreland, but who went over to the enemy in 1777 or '78-as is related in a subsequent chapter.

# In the Narrative of Elisha Harding ("Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII : 90) it is stated that Hill joined Butler's "Rangers" and took part with them in the battle of Wyoming. After the war he lived with the Indians in New York until they left the region of the Susquehanna, and then he lived on the Chenango until he became old and unable to maintain him- self. Harding-writing in 1837-said he had seen him in the poor-house (under the care of Capt. Joseph Leonard), and there, later, he died, with "no one to mourn."

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Miner (in his " History of Wyoming," page 202) says :

" The Millstone victory was, to their latest day, a darling theme with the old sol- diers. * * Each man shared several dollars of prize money, and Captain Ransom sent one of the wagons to his farm, at Wyoming, as a trophy. Nor was the victory achieved without loss. Several were killed and a greater number wounded. Among the former, [Justus] Porter, a gallant young fellow, the pride of Ransom's company, was cut down by a cannon-ball."

From the effects of exposure to the icy waters of Millstone River on January 20th and to other hardships, a number of men of both West- moreland companies were soon afterwards taken ill and sent to a.gen- eral army hospital in New Jersey, where Nathaniel Fry died February 10, 1777, and Benjamin Harvey, Jr., died about the same date-both men having been privates in Durkee's company. For some time after the fight at Millstone River the Westmoreland companies were stationed

at Somerset Court House, or Millstone, previously mentioned. Offi- cially known, still, as the "Westmoreland Independent Companies," they continued to be treated as a separate or independent battalion, and Robert Durkee, as senior Captain, remained in command. At Mill- stone, under the date of March 28, 1777, Captain Durkee wrote to the Delegates from Connecticut in the Continental Congress, and forwarded the letter to them by the hands of Ensign Matthias Hollenback. The original letter is now in the possession of Mr. James Terry of Connecti- cut, previously mentioned, and by his courtesy is here printed for the first time. It reads as follows :

"Gentlemen .- The two Independent Companies, from the town of Westmoreland, have been stationed at this place since the fore part of January, and have been and are now in something of a sickly condition, and some have been wounded, and been at their own private expence for a Physitian and Surgeon, which has amounted to about 140 Dol- lars in the two companies already. I would propose whether it would not be reasonable for them to be Reimbursted that sum and the Companies be provided for, for the futre. And as we are Independant from any Regt wd propose whether that some Reasonable allow- ance would not be proper for the two Sergts who have got warrents from the Gen! of the Brigade to act as Qr Master & Adjutant for the two companies. And whether it wd not be Reasonable for some allowence to be made to some proper Person for Receiving & paying out the money to the 2 Companies. I have had the trouble and expence of it as yet, since we marched, & find it very Deficult to attend to that and my other Duties.

"If it shd be thought proper for a Pay Master to be appointed, I wd Recommend Mr. JAMES GOULD* as a Man of Fidellity and abillity for that Business. He is a volun- teer in the Companies & Does the Duty of Clerk & keeps the Companies accts & could very redily do that Business.

"I am, Gent1, your Honours most Obdt Humbl. Servt., [Signed] " ROBT DURKEE."

About that time Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler, who had been at head- quarters since the 9th of January, detached on special service, was ordered to proceed to Danbury, Connecticut, take command of a detach- ment of Connecticut troops from the recently-organized regiments of Colonels Huntington, Wyllyst and Douglass, stationed there, and march

* JAMES GOULD, (JR.), was born in the North Parish of Lyme, New London County, Connecticut, the son of James Gould, Sr., and his wife Elizabetb Chappel, a native of Lebanon, Connecticut. James Gould, Sr., was a clothier by trade, who came from Boston to Lyme, settled there, built and operated a clotb-mill, married, and reared a family of thirteen children, all of whom in turn married and had children. James Gould, Jr., was married at Lyme in 1770 to Mary (born at Lyme July 22, 1752), second cbild of Jabez and Elizabeth (Noyes) Sill, then of Lyme, but later of Wilkes-Barre. (See a subsequent chapter for a sketch of the Sill family.) Mary (Sill) Gould was a younger sister of Eliza- beth, wife of Col. Nathan Denison (see page 788), and two of their brotbers-Shadrack and Elisba Noyes Sill-were fellow-soldiers of James Gould in Captain Durkee's company. James and Mary (Sill) Gould settled in Lyme, but about 1772 or '73 removed to Wilkes-Barre, where they made their home until the battle of Wyoming, July 3, 1778. The husband was then absent in the army, and after the battle the wife, with her four young children, fled through the wilderness to ber old home in Connecti- cut, where she was subsequently joined by her husband upon his discharge from the army. They resided in Lyme until the death of Mr. Gould in 1810, when Mrs. Gould and her surviving children (she had borne her husband eleven children) removed to Canandaigua, New York, where she died April 22, 1847.

¡ Wyllys' regiment was the "3d," and, as noted on page 637, Zebulon Butler had been commis- sioned Lieutenant Colonel of that regiment January 1, 1777.

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it to headquarters at Morristown. Lieut. Colonel Butler reached Dan- bury prior to April 8th, and on the 10th inarched thence with his new command for New Jersey .* Early in the following May the two West- moreland Independent Companies-still at Millstone-were attached to the command of Lieut. Colonel Butler, who was ordered to proceed forthwith to Bound Brook, New Jersey, to join the force there under the command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln (a few years later Secretary of War of the United States). Just at daybreak, the morning after the arrival of Butler's command at Bound Brook, "the enemy came upon them by surprise, on three sides," says Miner in his "Wyoming," Ap- pendix, page 24. " Lincoln's horse was saddled-he mounted-ordered a retreat to a hill about a mile distant. Little execution was done by the fire of the eneiny, although they were quite near, and hallooed, ' Run, you damned rebels, run !'" If the Americans knew when to run away, they also knew when to fight-as the British well knew, for they kept at a respectful distance after Lincoln's men had taken up a suitable position on the hill to which they had withdrawn.

Washington remained at Morristown from the 6th of January until the 28th of May, during which time no military movement of impor- tance took place. His men left for their homes as soon as their terins of service expired, and as few militia entered the camp to take their places, at times it seemed as if the army would be so reduced as to be unworthy of the name. It was not until late in the Spring that the new levies reached headquarters.

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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 57

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