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 65

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 65

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, XXXI: 12, there is printed a roster of "Butler's Rangers." It bears no date, but may be presumed to have been inade up in 1780, or early in 1781. The following-named appear as Captains: Peter Hare, John McDonnel, Benjamin Pawling, A. Thompson, Walter N. Butler and William Cald- well. Among the names of the other officers, and among those of the privates, are to be found the following, recognized as names of foriner inhabitants of the town of Westmoreland. Jesse Pawling, Quarter- inaster ; Benjamin Pawlingt, James Secord, Sr., and Solomon Secord, Lieutenants ; Stephen Secord and John Young, Sergeants ; Abraham, John and Peter Wintermute, Corporals ; Jacob Anguish, Henry An- guish, Frederick Anker, Sr., Frederick Anker, Jr., Adam Bowman, Jr.,

* See note on page 300, Vol. I.

+ See the "Haldimand Papers", B. M. 21,714-LIV : 271.

į In a letter written about 1801 by Col. John Jenkins (see Craft's "Wyalusing," page 52), he refers in a special manner to "the three Pawlings," who left the Wyoming settlement in 1777, joined John Butler, and were commissioned officers in the "Rangers." "They afterwards returned home in the Winter sea- son, inade arrangements for their friends, and then joined Butler early in 1778."

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Henry, Jacob and Peter Bowman, Philip Buck, Edward Hicks, Henry Hover, Abrahamn, Jonas and Peter Larraway, Elijah Phelps, Nicholas Phillips, Benjamin, James and William Pickard, David Secord, Sr., John Secord, Jr., Peter Secord, Sr., Michael Showers, Sr., Parshall Terry, Jr., Jacob Van Alstyne, Frederick Vanderlip, Henry and Hendrick Windecker, Abraham, Benjamin and Philip Wintermute.

In September, 1781, the tenth company of the " Rangers " was col11- pleted, and pronounced by Colonel Powell, after inspection, to be a very good one. At Niagara, on the 1st of the ensuing October, Lieut. Col- onel Butler, "for himself and the officers of his corps," forwarded a memorial to Govornor Haldimand praying that the words in their commissions, " to serve with the Indians", might "be omitted, as they [the words] are made a pretext for ill-treating any of the corps of Rangers who inay be taken prisoners."* At Niagara, under the date of July 18, 1782, Lieut. Colonel Butler petitioned that his corps might "receive a distinctive name, and not be styled merely 'Butler's Rang- ers.' " He stated that he could complete the enlisting of one or two more companies that Summer "should His Excellency [Governor Hal- dimand] sanction the proposal." No action on this petition seems to have been taken by the Governor.

In the Autumn of 1782 one John Dease was appointed "principal of the Indian Department at Niagara in the room of Lient. Colonel But- ler". In writing to Sir John Johnson Governor Haldimand expressed great surprise at this change. Just a short time before this Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Allen Macklean, who was then in command of the garrison at Fort Niagara, had written to Haldimand to the effect that Butler was the only man there "equal in any degree to the management of the Indians." During the Summer of 1783 the entire battalion of "Rang- ers " was officially inspected, and the returns showed a strength of 469 111en, 111 women and 257 children. The corps was finally disbanded in June, 1784, with the intention that the men should at once take up their residence on lands assigned to them in the immediate vicinity of Niagara. Within a month 258 officers and inen had agreed to settle, making, with their families, a body of 620 persons.

Returning now to Wilkes-Barre we find that, at a town-ineeting of the inhabitants of Westmoreland held here early in September, 1777, 149 freemen of the town took the oath of allegiance to the State of Con- necticut, in compliance with a new Act of Assembly then recently passed. According to the rate-bills, or tax-lists, of the various districts of Westmoreland for the year 1777, there were then 546 tax-payers in the town ; which, as explained on page 877, ante, would indicate a probable population of 3,276.

However, just as in the case of the tax-lists for 1776 (as has been previously noted), so in the present instance we find inissing from the lists the names of many men known to have been owners of land in Westmoreland in 1777, and either present on the ground or absent as soldiers in the American ariny. As for example: The Reverends Jacob Johnson and Noah Wadhams, Matthias Hollenback, James Bidlack, Jr., Lebbeus Tubbs, Jolin Jenkins, Jr., Daniel Denton, Rudolph Fox, James Gould, Solomon Jolinson, Gideon Church, Constant Matthewson, Jolin Swift, Elisha Satterlee, John Carey, Frederick Follett, James Frisbic,

* See the " Haldimand Papers," B. M. 21,874-CCXIV : 272.

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Elisha Garrett, Stephen Munson, Aaron Perkins, Ira Stephens, Stephen Pettebone, Parker Wilson, Mason F. Alden, Caleb Atherton, Jesse Bis- sell, Samuel Billings, Asa Burnham, John O'Neal, Peter Osterhout, Thomas Niell and Solomon Strong. Of those subsequently ascertained to be Tories, the names of some are in the lists,* but others are missing, as for example : Jacob Anguish, George Kentner, John De Pui, Benja- min Pawling, John Secord, James Secord, Solomon Secord, Philip Buck, Henry Windecker, John Young, Edward Hicks, Nicholas Phillips, Adam Wortman, Adam Bowman, Jacob Bowman and Henry Hover.

* The lists of 1777 are now in existence, and copies of them will be found printed in "Proceed- ings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," V : 219-230. The names contained in the lists are as follows:

WILKES-BARRE DISTRICT. Wm. Hooker Smitb,

John Smith,

Asa Gore, Obadiah Gore,

Jehu Fish,

Richardson Avery,

Isaac Smith,

Silas Gore,

Christopher Avery,

Jonathan Slocum,

Peter Harris,

Jonathan Avery,

Asa Stevens,

Elijah Harris,

William Avery,

Josiah Stanburrough,

William Hammond,

Aaron Gaylord,

Benjamin Bailey,

John Staples,

John Hammond,

Justus Gaylord,

Col. Zebulon Butler,

Josepb Staples,

Oliver Hammond,

David Goss,

Thomas Brown, John Brown,

Samuel Staples,

Isaac Bennet,

Gamaliel Truesdale,

Christopher Hurlbut,

Asa Bennet,

John Truesdale,

Daniel Ingersoll,

Solomon Goss,

Gideon Baldwin,

Job Tripp,

Josiah Kellogg,

Jobn Heath,

Elisha Blackman,

Justus Worden,

Eldad Kellogg,

Thomas Heath,

Nathan Bullock,

Jobn White,

Nathaniel Landon,

James Hopkins,

George Cooper,

Jonathan Weeks,

Timothy Hopkins,

Joseph Crooker,

Jonathan Weeks, Jr.,

Jesse Lee,

Jonathan Hunlock,

William Cooper, Samuel Cole,

Peter Wheeler,

Winchester Matthewson,

George Herrega,

Eleazar Carey,

John Williams,

Robert McIntire,

William Hurlbut,

Nathan Carey,

Thaddeus Williams,

Ezekiel Peirce,

Benjamin Harvey,

Dr. Jarib Dyer,

Daniel Whitney,

John Peirce,

Silas Harvey,

Robert Durkee,

James Wigton,

Timothy Peirce,

Zachariah Hartsouf,

Jabez Darling,

Flavius Waterman,

Noah Pettebone,

Jacob Holdrin,

Anderson Dana,

Elibu Waters.

Timothy Rose,

Samuel Jackson, Jr.,

William Dorton,

Ebenezer Skinner,

Thomas Kitchen,

William Dunn, Jr.,

James Atherton,

Constant Searle,

Stephen Lee, Zebulon Lee,

Dr. Shadrack Derby,

Asahel Atherton,

Thomas Stoddart,

William Landon,

Henry Elliot, John Elliot,

Benjamin Budd,

Jedidiah Stevens,

David Lindsey,

Joseph Elliot,

John Bass,

Lockwood Smith,

Thomas Leavenworth,

Stephen Fuller,

Henry Bush,

Mary Ransom Swift,

Jabez Fish,

Aholiab Buck,

Elijah Shoemaker,

Elisha Fish,

Asahel Buck,

Luke Swetland,

David Marvin,

Jonathan Fitch,

William Buck,

Parshall Terry,

Samuel Marvin,

John Foster, Daniel Gore,

Thomas Bennet,

Nathaniel Terry,

Obadiah Gore, Jr.,

William Baker,

Ichabod Tuttle,

Phineas Nash,

Cornelius Gale,

Richard Brockway,

Isaac Underwood,

James Nesbitt,

James Green,

David Bixby,

Stephen Whiton,

William Nelson,

John Garrett,

Robert Campbell,

Ozias Yale.

Daniel Owen,

Rezin Geer,

Samuel Cummings,

Jonathan Otis,

Darius Hazen,

Amaziah Cleveland, Elias Church,

Samuel Andrews,

Noah Pettebone, Jr.,

John Hollenback,

Samuel Ayres,

Elisha Parker,

Samuel Hutchinson,

Mary Baker,

James Parker,

Samuel Hutchinson, Jr.,

James Bidlack,

Giles Permon,

Joseph Hubbard,

Joshua Bennet,

Junia Preston,

John Hyde,

George Dorrance, John Dorrance,

Nehemiab Parks, Peren Ross,

Enoch Judd, William Judd,

Joseph Disberry,

James Roberts, 2d,

Azariah Ketcham,

Amos Draper,

Daniel Roberts,

Benjamin Kelly, Solomon Lee,

Isaac Downing, Nathan Denison,

Jeremiah Coleman, Jr.,

Jesse Coleman,

Mary Roberts, Josiah Rogers, Jonah Rogers,

William Parker,

Eliphalet Follett,

Benjamin Reed,

Daniel Rosecrans, Ann Ross,

Peter Finch, Isaac Finch,

Jonathan Churchill,

Isaac Rhodes,

Daniel Finch,

David Reynolds,

Stephen Fuller, Jr.,

Thomas Carscadden, Richard Dodson, John Dodson, Thomas Dodson,

Elisha Richards, Samuel Ransom, William Stewart, Simon Spalding, Benedict Satterlee,

Darius Spafford, Joseph Shaw,

Gabriel Ferguson, William Gallup,

James Dodson,

Daniel Sherwood, Oliver Smith,

William Stark,

Hallet Gallup,

Gilbert Denton, Joseph Dewey, Frederick Eveland, Hugh Foresman,

Obadiah Scott,

Aaron Stark, Elizabeth Stark, Josiah Smith,

Lemuel Gustin, Samuel Gordon,

Charles Gillett,

Benjamin Cole,

James Roberts,

James Cole,

Jonathan Center,

Jeremiah Coleman,

Hezekiah Roberts,

Thomas McClure,

James Divine, Esther Follett,

Thomas Porter,

Thomas Foxen,

John Coleman, Toshua Coleman, John Caldwell,

William Churchill,

David Reynolds, William Reynolds,

William Rowley,

PLYMOUTH DISTRICT.

Peter Pugh,

Zeruiah Hazen,

John Comstock, Peleg Comstock, Elnathan Cary, William Crooks,

Nathan Beach,

Bull,

John Hageman,

Asa Brown,

Uriah Terry,

Uriah Marvin, Ephraim McCoy,

Daniel Downing,

James Atherton, Jr.,

William Searle,

Isaac Baldwin,

Joshua Stevens,

Rufus Lawrence,

David Darling,

William Warner,

Jobn Perkins,

Samuel Jackson,

KINGSTON DISTRICT.

William Stephens,

Benjamin Kilbourn,

Thomas Dunn,

James Staples,

Daniel Hewitt, Dethick Hewitt,

Nathaniel Goss,

Philip Goss,

Philip Goss, Jr.,

Peter Lowe,

Philip Weeks,

James Legget,

Andrew Herrega,

Goodwin,

John Abbott, Jabez Sill,

Lebbeus Hammond,

Joseph Gaylord,

Jonathan Forsytbe,

John Franklin, Jr., Robert Frazer,

Solomon Squire, Jacob Sly,

John C. Fox,

Beniamin Shaw,

Henry Decker,

Gad Marshall, Nicholas Manvil,

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The regular semi-annual session of the General Assembly of Con- necticut was held at Hartford in October, 1777, beginning on the 11th of the month, and Judge John Jenkins and Isaac Tripp, Esq., were present as Representatives from the town of Westmoreland. The Assem- bly promoted Maj. George Dorrance of Kingston to be Lieutenant Col- onel of the 24th Regiment "in the room of Lazarus Stewart, Esq., resigned," and Capt. John Garrett "to be Major in the roomn of George Dorrance, promoted." The following additional promotions and appoint- ments in the 24th Regiment were also made *- all the officers named being shortly afterwards commissioned by Governor Trumbull. Dethick Hewitt to be Captain, Aholiab Buck, Lieutenant, and Asa Gore, Ensign, " of the 2d [or Kingston] Company, or Train-band "; John Hageman to be Ensign "of the 6th [or Upper Wilkes-Barre] Company, or Train-

PLYMOUTH DISTRICT (Concluded).

Peter Stevens,

Thomas Sawyer,

Daniel Trask,

Matthias Van Loon,

William Jameson,

Alexander Mackey,

Elijah Brown,

John Van Why,

George Liquors,

James Moore, Jr.,

Francis Phillips,

Capt. Robert Carr,

Rufus Williams,

Conrad Lines,

Justus Pickett,

Ezer Curtis,

Samuel Williams,

James Lasley,

Thomas Pickett,

Benjamin Eaton,

William White,

George Mack,

John Ryan,

Lemuel Fitch,

Asaph Whittlesey,

Jacob Morris,

Zachariah Squire,

William Shay,

John Scott,

Joseph Sprague,

Isaac Larraway,

HANOVER DISTRICT.

Benjamin Marcy,

Prince Alden,

Lazarus Stewart, Jr.,

Daniel St. John,

William Armstrong,

Robert Alexander,

Peleg Burritt,

Edward Spencer,

Elijah Silsby,

Ichabod Phelps,

Gideon Burritt,

Levi Spencer,

John Stafford,

Minor Robbins,

Stephen Burritt,

William Smith,

William Stark,

Michael Showers,

Gideon Booth,

John Sharar,

Isaac Tripp,

Sebastian Strope,

Isaac Booth,

John Tillbury,

Job Tripp,

Isaac Van Valkenburg,

Tames Brink,

Japhet Utley,

Thomas Taylor,

Garret Vanderbarrack,

Isaac Bennet, Jr.,

John Walker,

John Taylor,

James Van Alstyne,

Jeremiah Bickford,

Adam White,

Preserved Taylor,

Isaac Van Alstyne,

Henry Burney,

Robert Young.

Nathaniel Williams,

"Old" Van Alstyne,

Aaron Bowen, Stoddard Bowen,

PITTSTON DISTRICT.

Elisha Wilcox,

James Cook,

Isaac Adams,

Eleazar West, Amy Wilcox,

Joseph Winkler,

John Commer,

Daniel Allen,

John White,

Kingsley Comstock,

Isaac Allen,

David Allen,

Thomas Angel,

James Bagley,

(EXETER AND PROVIDENCE). John Ainsley,

Elisha Courtright,

Caleb Bates,

Joseph Baker,

Hezekiah Bingham,

John Carlisle,

Capt. Jeremiah Blanchard, Nathan Bradley,

Uriah Chapman, Esq.,

Isaac Campbell,

Isaac Baldwin,

Manasseh Cady,

Roger Clark,

Alexander Campbell,

Rufus Baldwin,

James Finn,

James Dye,

James Cochran,

James Brown,

John Gardner,

Jasper Edwards,

Charles Carrell,

William Benedict,

Stephen Gardner,

Capt. Eliab Farnam,

William Casson,

Silas Benedict,

Capt. Stephen Harding,

Nathaniel Gates,

Nathaniel Davenport,

Increase Billings,

Stephen Harding, Jr.,

David Gates,

Samuel Davenport,

Elihu Carey,

Lemuel Harding,

Jonathan Haskell,

Barnabas Carey,

Peter Harris, Jr.,

Jacob Kimball,

Samuel Ensign, John Ewing,

Joseph Carey,

James Hadsall,

Abel Kimball,

Isaac Fitchett,

Daniel Cash,

John Jenkins, Esq.,

Walter Kimhall, Moses Killam,

Andrew Freeman,

John Carr,

Benjamin Jones,

Justus Jones,

Zadock Killam,

Roasel Franklin,

Thomas Christy,

Thomas Joslin,

Ephraim Killam,

Tohn Franklin,

Isaac Finch,

William Martin,

Jephthah Killam,

Elias Green, Nathaniel Howard,

Richard Halstead,

James Newton, Elisha Scovell,

Silas Park, Esq.,

Cyprian Hihbard,

Ahraham Harding,

David Smith, John D. Shoemaker,

Ehenezer Hebard,

Timothy Howe,

Tames Sutton, Richard Tozer,

Joel Strong,

Nathan Howell,

Richard Jones,

Samuel Tozer,

Elijah Witter,

Tohn Hutchins,

Timothy Keyes,

Joseph Leonard,

Christopher Wintermute, Enos Woodward, Philip Wintermute,

David Inman,

Elijah Inman, Jr.,

Israel Inman,

Richard Inman,

John Jacobs,

James Lewis, Solomon Lee, Samuel Miller, James Moore,

Ebenezer Marcy,

Zebulon Marcy,

Frederick Anker,

Elihu Williams,

Elihu Williams, Jr.,

Ebenezer Lane,

Timothy Pearce,

Richard Fitzgerald, John Herrington, Reuben Herrington,

Nathan Wade,

William McKerachan,

John Wilson,

Benjamin Potts,

Josiah Pell,

William Randall,

Samuel Slater,

Capt. Lazarus Stewart,

Samuel Slater, Jr.,

William Pawling,

Caleb Spencer,

David Sanford,

Ephraim Sanford,

Elijah Phelps,

William Smith, Jr.,

Aaron Stark,

Frederick Smith,

Daman Beef, John Bony,

James Stevenson,

Joseph Thomas,

William Williams, Whittaker, Esq.,

Thomas Wilcox,

James Corkindale,

Noah Adams,

James Wells,

Amos York.

Justus Worden. NORTH DISTRICT LACKAWAY DISTRICT.

Jonathan Corey, Tenks Corey,

Christopher Courtright,

Tames Forsythe,

Isaiah Halstead,

Samuel Morgan,

Amos Park,

Samuel Howard,

Levi Hicks,

Zehulon Parrish,

William Hibhard,

Thomas Harding,

John Pellet, Jr., William Pellet,

Titus Hinman,

Eton Jones,

Enos Woodward, Jr.

* Sec "Records of the State of Connecticut," I : 430.

John Wintermute, Richard West.

NORTH DISTRICT

("UP THE RIVER").

Robert Jameson,

John Jameson,

Edward Lester,

Ishmael Bennet,

Nathan Kingsley,

Jesse Washburn.

James Spencer,

John Pensil, Abel Palmer,

Benjamin Skiff,

John Killam,

George Cooper,

948

band "; James Bidlack, Sr., Lebbeus Tubbs and John Comstock to be, respectively, Captain, Lieutenant and Ensign "of the 1st Company of the Alarm List in the 24th Regiment."

The gloomy aspect of affairs along the seaboard in 1777 ; Burgoyne with his powerful army descending from the North; the accession of the Indians to the cause of Great Britain-carrying with it the certainty that the frontier settlements, as in the French and English War, would be one long line of conflagrations and massacres-awakened in the breasts of the people of Westmoreland great fears for the general cause, and extreme anxiety for their own safety. Miner states that a system of scouting was established at Wyoming in the Summer and Autumn of 1777, by which details of the 24th Regiment were sent up the river to watch the Indian paths and bring back such intelligence concerning the Indians and Tories as they could gather. Each party of five or six was generally absent a week, but their numbers, and the frequency of their tours of duty, were increased as emergencies seemed to require.

About the 10th of September news reached Wilkes-Barré that a number of Tories, whose homes were up the Susquehanna in that part of Westmoreland now within the limits of the counties of Wyoming and Bradford, Pennsylvania, had returned to their homes from New York State where they had been for some months, presumably within the British lines. Colonel Denison immediately sent out a detachment of inen from the 24th Regiment in search of these Tories. His official report of the incident was subsequently mnade to his superior officer (Brigadier General Wolcott, commanding the 6th Brigade, Connecticut Militia) in the following letter*, now published for the first time.

" WESTMORELAND the 20th of September 1777.

"Honoured Sr. - I Recd your Letter of the 12th of August with some blank returns: Directing me to make out and send you the Preasent state of the Regement in this part of the State of Connecticut, Which will be don & transmitted to your Hont by the Rep- resentetives of this town when they attend the general assembly in Octobr sesion, with what is wanting to enable us in the most effectual nianer to secuar the Peace and safty of our Country:

"With Regarde to the Disposition of the indians toward this settelment, S!, you have no Doubt heard of A numbr of tories that left there posessions in this settelment and gone to Join the enemy at niagary some time last spring. Last week I got intele- gence from that Part of the settilment that those People went front, that they wear Returnd: upon which I sent a party of men with orders to mak Prisoners of such as might be found of them, but they giting intelegence of the Partys coming against them took to the mountains for shelter, so that our People took two of them Prisoners and killed onet more: tho the one that was kiled first fired on one of our men and slitely wounded him. Sence this happened I find that some of them have gon to the indian settelments on this River, others are Lurking about there families, so that if it is in there Power to bring the indians upon us it will be done, tho I conceive that a war with them Depends upon the succes of the american armes in other Parts.

" by what I can find out by the Prisoners there was about one hundred and 40 or 50 indians Returnd from the battel at fort stanwicks to there settelments up this River; what there Diseine is is unnone to me. I have some expectation of some of those tories com- ing in and giving thein selvs up, but this is uncerting.

"S!, wold Request your advice and Direction with Regard to Disposing of the Prisoners in our hands.

"Permit me, Sr, to subscribe my self your most obedient Hul servent,

[Signed] "NATHAN DENISON." " To

Honble OLIVER WOLCOTT, Esq! Brigadier General of the

Militia, State of Connecticut, Litchfield."

* The original is among the "Wolcott Papers," mentioned on page 29, Vol. I.

¡ ADAM WORTMAN, a German, living a short distance above what is now Tunkhannock, in Wyoming County, where he had settled about 1772, was the man who was shot at the time referred to. When the scouting party arrived at his home Wortman came out of his house armed with a gun. His wife called to him, "Shoot, Adam, shoot!" Adam fired, and the ball from his musket struck and penetrated an iron

949

The names of the two prisoners referred to in the foregoing report are preserved in an original bill* rendered in September, 1777, by the then jailer of the Westmoreland County jail, as follows :

" Col. NATHAN DENISON, &c., Committee of Inspection for Westmoreland, " To ISAAC UNDERWOOD, Dr.

"To boarding and tending Hicks and Woodreck in goal eight days, @, 9sh. a

£3:12 :0." day,

About that time a number of Tories were captured in the Lack- away District of Westmoreland. The occurrence is described by Miner (see his " Wyoming," page 469) in these words :

"A body of men, eighteen in number, were seen lurking in the 'Great Swamp,' as the bottom land along the Wallenpaupack was called. They were discovered by a young girl, a daughter of Nathaniel Gates (afterwards a Sergeant in Dethick Hewitt's com- pany), as she was looking for some cows. She gave notice to the officer in command of the troops-Lieut. Jonathan Haskellt-and he collected the force of the settlement and succeeded in capturing the whole body. They proved to be Tories, who had deserted from the American army. Lieutenant Haskell conducted them to Hartford, [Connecti- cut], where they were confined."

It is more than probable that these men were not "deserters from the American army," but formed a part of the body of Westmoreland Tories that, after the battle of Oriskany, had been sent to the Susquehanna region under the command of James Secord to plunder the Americans of their cattle. (See pages 935 and 939.)

In October, 1777, Lieut. Asa Stevens was detailed to go on a scout up the river with a squad of nine men from Wilkes-Barre. They were gone several days, and returned with five suspected persons as prisoners. In the latter part of November Lieut. John Jenkins, Jr., in command of a scouting party from the 24th Regiment, was captured by a band of Tories and Indians near Wyalusing and sent to Fort Niagara, as men- tioned on page 806. About the 20th of December Lieut. Col. George Dorrance, in command of a force of 111 officers and mnen of the 24th Regiment, went up the Susquehanna as far as Wysox, Towanda and Sheshequin to disperse or capture a settlement of Tories in that locality. They suffered considerably from cold and hunger and a severe snow storm, but succeeded in capturing twenty-eight inen (see page 837, seventh paragraph), who were brought down to Wilkes-Barre.

The Connecticut Assembly convened in special session at Hartford January 8, 1778, and continued in session for several weeks. Near the close of the sitting the following memorialt was presented.

"The Memorial of NATHAN DENISON of Westmoreland in the County of Westmore- land Humbly sheweth that lie Being Colonel of the 24th Regt of militia Belonging to this State and on the 20th Day of December last being Informed that a band of Tories ware forming on the westward of sd Town of Westmoreland in order to stur up the Indians of Tioga to Join sd Tories & Kill & Destroy the Inhabitants of this state npon which Inform- ation your memorialist ordered part of his Regt to be Immediately equipt and march to supress sd consperators and also sent an Express to the Tribe of Indians at Tioga sd Express being seven days in service which service & expences amounted to £5 : 9 :6 and the offecers & men who march'd ware as follows (viz. ) 1 Lt. Col. 1 Capt. 5 subalterns 7 sergeants 5 corporals & 93 rank & file who ware Nine Days in service, and also one sub- altern & eleven privates who ware four Days in service, and ware suplied with one Hun- dred wt of Powder & about Three Hundred wt of Ball which was Delivered out of the Town Stock & expended in sd expedetion.

tobacco-box in the waistcoat pocket of Zebulon Marcy, one of the scouting party, and knocked him down. One of Marcy's companions returned the fire of Wortman, and gave the latter a mortal wound. He begged for help, and asked that a physician should be sent for. A messenger was sent to Wilkes-Barre for Dr. William Hooker Smith, who remarked, as he set off nip the river, that if, when he arrived on the ground, Wortman should not be dead, he would not live long afterwards.

* Document "No. 83" in the volume "Susquehannah Settlers", described on page 29, Vol. I.

JONATHAN HASKELL was an inhabitant and a taxpayer in Lackaway District, and was probably an officer of the local militia organization.

# See the original in the volume of MSS. entitled "Susquehannah Settlers," mentioned on page 29, Vol. I.

950

"Which service & expences being all for the Defence of this & the Rest of the united States the memorialist therefore Humbly Prays your Honours to Grant the wages & expences of the officers & men (who marchd About eighty miles up the River and Took sundry Tories and happily contented the Tioga Indians and Intirely Disbanded the Consperators ) and also alow the Town of Westmoreland the amminition expended as afore said and order the expences of sd Tories confined in Goal paid out of the Treasury of this state or in any other way Grant to your memorialist and men such a Reasonable Reward as your Honours in your Great Wisdom shall think Just & your memorialist as in duty Bound shall ever pray.

"Dated at Hartford the 26th Day of Jany : A D 1778. [Signed] " NATHAN DENISON."

According to a memorandumi accompanying this memorial it would appear that the party which went out December 20th had five pack-horses with them; and that the "one subaltern and eleven privates" who went out, as stated, were "sent up the Snsquelianna River after Tories, Decem- ber 10, 1777."

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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 65

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