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 86
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118
A few families still continued to stand their ground in Wyoming- the majority of them occupying Forty Fort, while here and there throughout the Valley were others. In the town-plot of Wilkes-Barre,
* See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII : 78, 81.
" The original is document "No. 161" in the collection entitled "Susquehannah Settlers, 1755- 1796," mentioned on page 29, Vol. I.
1056
at its north-east corner, were Jonathan Slocum and the members of his family ; in the lower part of Kingston was the family of Elijah Harris. Mr. Harris had been in the battle and had escaped to Forty Fort. After nightfall he made liis way to his home, where were his wife, his son Charles (thirteen years of age), several younger children, and two sisters who were ill and confined to their beds. Making hasty provision for the sustenance of his family, Elijah Harris left. the Valley at day-break the following morning; but a few days later-after the departure of Major Butler's forces-he returned to his home and family:
Finally the Indians who had remained in the Valley gradually departed ; but about the 18th of July two or three Indians came down the river to Forty Fort and notified the occupants thereof that they and all others in the Valley must inove off without delay. It was believed at the time by the inhabitants that some Tories up the river had, without authority, sent this notice, and therefore Dr. William Hooker Smith immediately set out on horse-back from Forty Fort for Fort Penn to urge Captain Spalding to repair to Wyoming with his company. But after Dr. Smith's departure it seemed to those who remained behind that the articles of capitulation executed on July 4th neither afforded nor would afford the people of Wyoming any security, and so they set about preparing to remove.
Among the families then at Forty Fort were those of Dr. William Hooker Smith, James Sutton and Dr. Lemuel Gustin. Sutton and Gustin were sons-in-law of Dr. Smith,* and the family of Sutton con- sisted of himself and his wife Sarah, their daughter Deboraht (then in her sixth year), and a younger daughter. James Sutton and Dr. Gustin, having decided to quit the Valley, proceeded to build a rude boat of timber, boards and nails which they obtained from a deserted cabin. In a few days their craft was completed, and into it were loaded the Smith, Sutton and Gustin families (fifteen persons in all), together with the few belongings which they had saved from the plundering savages. In due time these voyagers arrived at Northumberland, near Sunbury. Thence, after a short stay, they floated on down the river to Middle- town, where the Sutton family remained for a considerable length of time. Dr. Gustin, however, proceeded to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the practise of his profession. The Slocums, the Harrises, and the other families scattered throughout the Valley, deserted it at about the same time the Sutton-Gustin party went down the river.
In very truth Wyoming was now desolated and depopulated !
Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler, who, as mentioned on page 1031, set out on July 4th from Wilkes-Barre for Fort Allen, at Gnadenhütten, in Penn Township, Northampton County, reached that place a few days later. From there, under the date of July 10th, he despatched to the Board of War at Philadelphia a letter reading as followst :
" Honoured Sirs .- On my arrival at Westmoreland (which was only four days after I left Yorktown§), I found there was a large body of the enemy advancing on that settle- ment. On the 1st of July we mustered the militia and marched towards them, by the
* The wife of Dr. Smith, and his daughter Susanna, wife of Dr. Gustin, had died shortly before the battle of Wyoming of "putrid fever," which was then prevalent in the Valley. A sketch of Dr. William Hooker Smith will be found in a subsequent chapter.
Deborah, daughter of James and Sarah (Smith) Sutton, was born at North Castle, Westchester County, New York, February 8, 1773, and died at Waverly, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1869. She was married May 16, 1799, as his second wife, to Jacob Bedford (born in 1762; died August 23, 1849), a resident of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, for many years.
# See Marshall's "Life of George Washington" (Second edition), I : 281.
§ York, Pennsylvania, where the Continental Congress was then sitting.
1057
river, above the settlement; found and killed two Indians at a place where, the day before, they had murdered nine men engaged in hoeing corn. We found some canoes, etc., but, finding we were above their main body, it was judged prudent to return; and as every man had to go to his own house for his provisions, we could not muster again till the 3d of July. In the meantime the enemy had got possession of two forts, one of which we had reason to believe was designed for them, though they burnt them both.
" The inhabitants had seven forts, for the security of their women and children, ex- tending about ten miles on the river, and too many men would [have to] stay in them to take care of them; but, after collecting about 300 of the most spirited of them, including Captain Hewitt's company, I held a council with the officers, who were all agreed that it was best to attack the enemy before they got any farther. We accordingly marched, found their situation, formed a front of the sanie extension of the enemy's, and attacked from right to left at the same time. Our men stood the fire well for three or four shots, till some part of the enemy gave way; but, unfortunately for us, through some mistake the word 'retreat ' was understood from some officer on the left, which took so quick that it was not in the power of the officers to form them again, though I believe if they had stood three minutes longer the enemy would have been beaten.
" The utmost pains were taken by the officers, who mostly fell. A Lieutenant Colonel, a Major, and five Captains, who were in commission in the militia, all fell. Colonel Durkee* and Captains Hewitt and Ransom were likewise killed. In the whole, about 200 men lost their lives in the action on our side. What number of the enemy were killed is yet un- certain, though I believe a very considerable number. The loss of these mien [on the American side] so intimidated the inhabitants that they gave up the matter of fighting. Great numbers ran off, and others would comply with the terms that I had refused. The enemy sent flags frequently; the terms you will see in the enclosed letter. They repeat- edly said that they had nothing to do with any but the inhabitants, and did not want to treat with me. Colonel Denison, by desire of the inhabitants, went and complied, which made it necessary for me and the little remains of Captain Hewitt's company to leave the place. Indeed, it was determined by the enemy to spare the inhabitants after their agree- ment, and that myself and the few Continental soldiers should be delivered up to the savages; upon which I left the place and came away, scarcely able to move, as I have had no rest since I left Yorktown.
" It has not been in my power to find a horse or man to wait on the Board till now. I must submit to the Board what must be the next step. The little remains of Hewitt's company (which are about fifteen ), are gone to Shamoken, and Captain Spalding's com- pany, I have heard, are on the Delaware. Several-hundred of the inhabitants are stroll- ing in the country, destitute of provisions, who have large fields of grain and other necessaries of life at Westmoreland. In short, if the inhabitants can go back, there may yet be saved double the quantity of provisions to support themselves; otherwise they must be beggars, and a burthen to the world.
"I have heard from men that came from the place since the people gave up, that the Indians have killed no person since, but have burnt most of the buildings, and are collecting all the horses they can, and are moving up the river. They likewise say the enemy were 800, one-half white men. I should be glad that, if possible, there might be a sufficient guard sent for the defence of the place, which will be the means of saving thousands from poverty-but [I] must submit to the wisdom of Congress. I desire fur- ther orders from the honourable Board of War with respect to myself and the soldiers under my direction."
On the very day that Colonel Butler wrote and despatched the fore- going letter, Col. Timothy Pickering, at the War Office in Philadelphia, wrote to Colonel Butler (in response to the latter's report forwarded to the Board of War on July 3d-as noted on page 1005) the following lettert :
"I received your letter of the 3d inst., relative to the invasion of the Indians, and have since heard the engagement you expected actually took place, and greatly to the advantage of the enemy. The letter, with the additional information, was laid before Congress, and I hoped they would have given some order for relieving you; but, as yet, nothing has been done. Congress have been engaged in business of very great conse- quence. I have conversed with the Delegates from Connecticut, but they, as well as others, are at a loss to determine what measures are best to be pursued. A small force of Con- tinental troops, unless joined by the militia of this State, would be unequal to the enemy invading you; and to detach a large force from the army may be inconvenient; and either would probably arrive too late-for the enemy will not stay long in your borders, especi- ally wlien they are informed that the British have evacuated Philadelphia, and that, in
* Capt. ROBERT DURKEE is here referred to. He is given the title of "Colonel" by Colonel Butler presumably for the following reason: Captain Durkee, as senior Captain of the two Westmoreland Independent Companies, had commanded during the whole period of his service in the Continental army the battalion which these two companies formed. For this reason he may have been called by his fellow officers, by courtesy, Lieutenant Colonel, or Colonel.
t See "Life of Timothy Pickering," II : 221.
1058
their retreat through the Jerseys, we gained a victory over them, in which, and by deser- tions since they left the city, and fatigues and skirmishes on their march, they have lost full 3,000 men.
"I am anxious to hear of your present situation, which I hope is not so dangerous as the last reports represented it. If the enemy have invested your fort, and you can hold it long enough, surely Congress will order up a force sufficient to relieve you. The savages, I trust, will 'ere long find sufficient employment in their own countries, and repent of their union with the falling power of Britain; for, if the Indians persist in their hostilities, the resentment of the United States will not cool till those barbarians are exterminated from the earth. I hope soon to receive further information of the state of your settlement. This afternoon there will be a [meeting of the] Board for the express purpose of devising some measures for your assistance."
Upon the receipt of Colonel Butler's letter of July 10th, Colonel Pickering replied to it, under the date of July 15, 1778, as follows *:
" Your melancholy account of the fate of Wyoming I received by Mr. Williams. I regret that measures were not earlier taken for the relief of that and the other settle- ments on the frontiers. Something effectual would have been done in any other State than this by the people themselves, or their executive power. But the circumstances of this State are singular on many accounts. At length orders are issued for assembling immediately considerable bodies of militia at Standing Stone, t Sunbury and Easton. The latter, I hope, will be strengthened by the Jersey militia, which, I hear, have been ordered out against the Indians. The Commissary has been directed to appoint proper persons to supply these troops with provisions. To encourage the militia, and to give some cer- tain and immediate relief to the frontiers, Colonel Hartley's regiment is ordered to march to Sunbury (for 'tis apprehended the enemy from Wyoming will take that course), ex- cept a detachment of about eighty, who escorted some prisoners of war to Brunswick and will march from thence to Easton as soon as the express, who set off this morning, can reach them. At Easton they will receive further orders, either to join their regiment at Sunbury, or the troops on Delaware, as the movements of the enemy shall render expedient.
" We are informed that Colonel Kowatz, with part of General Pulaski's corps, is at Fort Penn. Captain Spalding's company, you hear, is on the Delaware. I should think it advisable for you, with such troops as are with you, to join it. You will co-operate with the Continental troops and militia which shall be collected, and concert with the commanding officers the most effectual measures for stopping the further ravages of the enemy. You can best judge on the spot to what quarter you should march; the numbers and movements of the enemy must direct you. I am convinced that motives of honor, as well as duty, will prompt you to exert your utmost ability to promote the common good and save the distressed frontier. Ammunition and some arms will be sent to the different frontier counties, as soon as the Council of this State have informed the Board what quantities they shall want for the militia-1,900 of whom they have ordered out in the whole. * * *
"General Washington, with the main army, is probably now crossing the North River. There is the highest reason to believe that he, by land, and the French Admiral by sea, will coop up the enemy at New York and make prisoners of the whole. We shall then be at leisure to chastise the savages, and the barbarous villains who have led and joined them in taying waste our frontiers."
At a meeting of the Supreme Executive Council held in Philadel- phia July 14, 1778-the day preceding that upon which the foregoing letter was written-there was adopted a "circular letter," reading in part as follows :
" The following arrangements for defence are agreed upon in view of the attack which has been made by the Indians and others on the frontiers of the State. A detach- ment of Colonel Hartley's regiment to march from New Jersey to Easton. The remain- der of Colonel Hartley's regiment now in Philadelphia to march immediately to Sunbury and join the two companies lately raised at Wyoming. § * * It is necessary to add * to these Continental troops a considerable body of militia. Council have, therefore, determined to order to Sunbury 300 militia from the county of Northumberland, 400 from Lancaster, and 150 from Berks. To Easton, from the county of Northampton, 300 men."
Upon the receipt of Colonel Pickering's second letter, Colonel But- ler immediately repaired to Fort Penn, in Lower Smithfield Township,
* See "Life of Timothy Pickering," II : 223.
t On the Juniata River, where the borough of Huntingdon (mentioned on page 783) now stands. See Egle's "History of Pennsylvania," pages 778 and 779.
# See "Pennsylvania Colonial Records," XI : 531.
§ The companies formerly commanded by Captains Durkee and Ransom, but then consolidated under the captaincy of Simon Spalding, as explained on page 978.
1059
where he was met by Lieut. Obadiah Gore, Jr. (see page 833), who had just arrived from the Continental army encamped at White Plains, New York. Lieutenant Gore was the bearer from Brig. Gen. S. H. Parsons (see page 978) to Colonel Butler of a letter dated at White Plains July 15, 1778, and reading in part as follows* :
" The rumor of the Wioming settlement being nearly destroyed has given me great concern. General Gates has therefore sent Lieutenant Gore, with leave of six weeks' absence, to see your state, &c. I must beg you to give me the earliest particular intel- ligence about the matter, that proper measures may be taken to chastize the insolence of those villains."
At Lower Smithfield, under the date of July 28, 1778, Col. Nathan Denison wrote to Gov. Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut and trans- initted to him a copy (in his own handwriting) of the Forty Fort articles of capitulation. These documents were received by Governor Trumbull on the 4th of . August following, and are now preserved among the " Trumbull Papers " previously mentioned. The letter reads as follows:
"Honoured Sr-As my circumstances have been such that it rendered allmost im- practible for me to give your Excelency an account of the unhappy affair that hapned at Westmoreland on the 3d of this instant, shall now indever to Represent the affair:
"on the Last of June We got intelegence of a Party of the Enemy being up the River about thirty miles Distant from us-the Party supposed not to be grate. the Next Day after another Scout Returned & gave an account that they had Discovered about 50 Cannoe Loads of the Enemy, with considerable parties of them on each side the River, coming down. Which inteligence alarmed the inliabitence so that some ware for secur- ing thare famalies in our forts, others for moveing out of the settlement. In this situa- tion We collected to the number of four Hundred of our nien & marched up the River in order to meet the Enemy, but not meeting with them, saving a small scout which ware killed by our People. the Day before this hapned the Enemy fell on a small Party of our men that ware at work, killed four of them-the others made there escape. the Next Day after the body of the Enemy came to a small fort and demanded it, which was instantly given up, Whear they made there Head Quarters. during the time they was in the settlement there Parties ware Distroying our Cattle, Horses, &c.
" the Day that we had the battle with them we had between 3 & 4 Hundred men collected at Kingstown fort, about 3 miles distant from the Enemy. in this situation it was concluded best to march out & attact the Enemy, upon which there was a little over 3 Hundred that marched out & attact them. the Enemy got no advantage of us in the first fire, but we ware over Powerd by numbers. our People ware obliged to retreat. the Number Killed on our side can not be certing Knoon, but I beleve not far from two Hundred. the number of the Enemy killed, not far from Eighty.t the next morning John Butler, the Commander of the Enemys forces, sent a flag to demand the fort. I let him no that I wold see him at one o'clk. after noon, after which I went to the Loar [lower] Part of the settlement to find the situation of the People, & found numbrs of Wimen & Children then in the Roads, some Pushing out of the settlement, some one way and some the other, in the utmost distres and ankseiety indevering to make their escape from the Savages.
"at my Return to the fort, found that it was the minds of the grater Part of the Peo- ple then Present to Capitulate with the enemy. I went to there Camp, & was put to the disagreeable necesity of sineing the inclosed Paper, after which no person was hurt by the enemy untill after I left that place: the Next Day after I come from there there was five Persons murdered by the Enemy on the Rode, { as they was coming from there, and as the artickls of cappitulation are broke on the part of the Enemy I do not look upon myself holden on my part by them, & expect soon to Return to Westmoreland to see if some trifels can be saved that the saveges have left. the number of the Enemy that came against us did not exceed seven or Eight Hundred at most, by the best information I can git. " I am, Sir, with due Regard, your Exlences most obediant humble
[Signed] "NATHAN DENISON."
"N. B. I find that there is Numbers of People in this State [Pennsylvania] desire to take the advantage of our distressed situation to get Posession of our Settlement, which I think cannot be alowed of-but the gratest part of them have been very kind to our scattered inhabitence."
* See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII:131.
៛ See page 1029.
# The Hickman family and Messrs. Leach and St. John, mentioned on page 1037.
1060
At Fort Penn, in Lower Smithfield, under the date of July 30, 1778, Colonel Denison wrote as follows* to Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler-who had gone to Easton a day or two previously.
" The cloven foot seems to appear most plain than when you left this [place]. I applied to Colonel Stroud this morning for arms and ammunition for our people. He replied that he had not more than 100 or 150 weight of lead in store, but expected a wagon load of ammunition from Allentown soon; so that we need not expect to be sup- plied from this store. As to arms, he says he has about 100 which he had from Colonel Hooper, and wants directions from him how to dispose of them. Dr. [William Hooker] Smith is here, and says that he saw Dr. [Lemuel] Gustin at Catawissa, who left our set- tlement yesterday week [Wednesday, July 22d], and says that there were only a few Tories there; and further says that there is a scheme that way on foot for the Pennsyl- vania people to get in possession of our settlement."
There is no doubt that the Wyoming refugees-particularly the women, and the youth of both sexes-when they arrived at the inhabited parts of the country in the course of their flight, were not only phys- ically exhausted, but had, naturally, become worked up to a high degree of excitement, and a consequent condition of excessive exasperation against the authors of their ills. It followed, therefore, as a matter of course, that when they told their tales of the enemy's doings in Wyo- ming, they told them with hyperbolical amplification-to speak frankly. Many of their hearers, in repeating these stories, added to them certain details of their own fabrication, and thus it came to pass that many remarkable accounts of the Wyoming battle and massacre were put in circulation. Miner, writing in 1845 in reference to this inatter, saidt :
" I beg leave to remark that no important subject was ever before involved in such embarrassing contradictions. The reason, I take it, is this: On the invasion by Butler and his Indians, most of the leading men were slain, and the rest of the inhabitants scat- tered in the wildest state of alarm. Rumor brought to every flying group a tale of seven- fold horror, and these, repeated by the fugitives wherever they fled, were told and received as historic truth. * * * Black with cruelty and crimsoned with blood-sufficient to harrow up the soul with horror-is the simple narrative, attested by truth, which dis- plays the ferocity of demons, the malignity of fiends. The false account was immeasur- ably worse! It may excite inquiry, why the oft published error was not earlier corrected. It is obvious that the false statement which took its published form at Poughkeepsie, and was thence circulated, not only in the United Colonies, but throughout every nation in Europe, was calculated to arouse the most powerful emotions of the human soul-pity for Amer- ican suffering-detestation of blackest perfidy-horror at unheard of cruelty on the part of Great Britain and her savage allies; and hence, to strengthen our cause by bringing popular sentiment to bear in our favor, both at home and abroad.
" With motives so powerful to allow the published story to run its course, it may be doubted, even if the truth was known, whether any American would at the time have felt it his duty to hunt up the evidence and publish a new version of the matter. After the war Wyoming was, from her remote, reduced and harassed state, too much engaged in more immediately pressing concerns to leave her people free to study her early annals and correct the errors of the historian."
The first news-item published in relation to the battle of Wyoming was printed in the Pennsylvania Packet (Philadelphia), July 14, 1778, and it read as follows :
"Mr. Butler, formerly an Indian Agent under Sir William Johnson, with a consid- erable force consisting of regular troops and Indians, have made an attack on the settle- ment at Wioming, and have done some mischief. The particulars are not yet come to hand. *
* Congress have it under their consideration."
Following this, the first account of the battle of Wyoming and sub- sequent events to be printed appeared on July 20, 1778, in the New York Journal, which, at that time (on account of the British being in possession of the city of New York), was published by John Holt at
* See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII:132. f "History of Wyoming," Introduction, v.
1061
Poughkeepsie, New York. The article in question read in part as fol- lows :
" POUGHKEEPSIE, July 20.
"Since our last, many of the distressed refugees from the Wyoming settlement on the Susquehanna, who escaped the general massacre of the inhabitants, have passed this way, from whom we have collected the following account, viz .. [Then follows a brief narrative of the settlement of the Wyoming region, the Pennamite-Yankee contest over the land, etc.] The lands are exceeding good, and produce immense quantities of grain of all sorts, roots, fruits, hemp, flax, etc., and stock of all kinds in abundance. The set- tlement lias lately supplied the Continental army with 3,000 bushels of grain, and the ground was loaded with the most promising crops of every kind. * * **
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.