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 93
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"I am informed many of your people have the highest inclination to go against some of the Indian towns, [that] they may revenge the murders of fathers, brothers and friends, besides serving their country. You will detain Captain Kenneyt with a Ser- geant and ten men of my regiment, a subaltern and twenty [men] of Spalding's and Howe's men (making in the whole thirty men), of those who are the least able to fnarch; of which Captain Kenney is to take charge, under your immediate direction, in your gar- rison. That you retain fifty fighting men of the militia, or inhabitants, to compose your garrison. That Captain Bush, with the residue of my regiment and the other troops at Wyoming, do march off from thence on Monday next [September 14th] by the route of Freeland's Mills (if no nearer is known) to Muncy Fort, near Wallace's [Wallis']. They are to bring all the pack-horses, saddles, &c., with them; also a bag for each horse, if pos- sible. Previous to their march they are to draw and cook four days' provisions. Provis- ions will be provided for them afterwards. Mr. William Stewart will go with them. It is expected they will arrive at Fort Muncy the third night of their march, or the fourth day.
" It will be impossible to tell the troops or people where they are to march to. You must induce the militia to go-say they are marching against some Indian town. After they are marched, the garrison are to be informed that the men are gone to the West Branch to support the people there, who have been attacked by the Indians. The route to Muncy will justify the last; the Tories will be deceived. You will act in the best man- ner you can during the absence of the troops. I shall not, perhaps, go myself to Che- mung (this between you and I), and you shall be supported with all the troops in this quarter in case of emergency. A garrison will still be continued near Nescopeck. * * * You may communicate this letter to Captains Buslı and Kenney; also to Colonel Denison and Mr. W. Stewart-under the strictest injunction of secrecy. Mr. Howe and Mr. have had some intimations, but I dare say they will keep them secret. The inhabitants who go on this expedition will be back time enough to put in some Fall grain."
At Wilkes-Barré, under the date of September 12th, Colonel Butler issued the following :
"Orders. It is found that the pernicious practice of playing cards is prevalent in this camp, notwithstanding the Articles of War and sundry General Orders (which have been published throughout the American army) to the contrary, forbidding such practices. The Colonel is surprised to find that disciplined Continental troops should be so lost to good order as to be found violating those rules and orders. And that if any persist in such practices for the future, they may depend on being severely punished, according to the nature of the offence.
"As the camp has been alarnied by the firing of guns, the practice is once more strictly forbidden on penalty of severe punishment."
At Camp Westmoreland, Wilkes-Barré, on September 13th, in com- pliance with the instructions sent him by Colonel Hartley, Colonel But- ler issued the following :
"Orders. That a Detachment of 130 men of Continental Troops march from this post to-morrow under the command of Captain Bush, on an Expedition, and that they draw four days' provisions this afternoon and have it cooked and be in readiness to march by eight o'clock in the morning-and that they be paraded this afternoon, and the offi- cers see that the men are complete with arms and ammunition."
On Monday, September 14, 1778, Colonel Butler issued the fol- lowing :
* See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII:140.
¡ See page 972.
¿ Capt. James Kenney, an officer of the detachment from "Hartley's Regiment" then at Wilkes- Barré.
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"Orders. That there be a return made to-morrow morning of the number and state of the Continental troops at this post, and also a return of the state of the militia who are under pay.
" That no soldier be absent from camp on any account whatever without leave from the commanding officer of the company, and he not to give liberty for more than two at a time.
" It has been observed by the commanding officer of this post that for sundry days past a number of soldiers have been intoxicated and unfit for service. It is ordered that all tavern-keepers and retailers of liquor be careful that no soldier be found drunk by their means, as they shall answer such defect by the forfeiture of their liquor, or at least be prohibited the liberty of retailing for the future."
At eight o'clock in the morning of this day (September 14th) Cap- tain Bush and his detachment set out from Wilkes-Barré on their march to Fort Muncy, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna. According to Dr. Craft* the detachment comprised sixty of the enlisted men of " Hartley's Regiment" who were stationed at Wilkes-Barre; Capt. Simon Spalding and fifty-eight enlisted men of the Westmoreland Inde- pendent Company in the Continental service, and Capt. John Franklin (mentioned on page 994) and a company of twelve Westmoreland militia- men, organized for the expedition. The route pursued by the detach- ment was as follows : Crossing the river at the foot of Northampton Street they struck the road which ran north-north-west across the flats (along the Kingston-Plymouth boundary-line), a distance of a little more than a mile, to a point west of Toby's Creek. There the road made a sharp turn to the south-west and ran an almost straight course over the top of Ross Hill and thence onward through the whole length of "Shawnee Flats; " thence along the foot of the Shawanese Mountain, at a distance of about half a mile from the river, to a point about one mile from Harvey's Creek ; thence down the flats, at a short distance from the river, to the mouth of the abovementioned creek, near Nanti- coke Falls-down to which point the road was a fairly decent one. It had been laid out several years previously by the surveyors of The Sus- quehanna Company, and subsequently had been more or less improved from time to time. It was the main, if not the only, public highway leading from the Wilkes-Barré ferry to Nanticoke Falls, and thence to Northumberland.+ Froin Harvey's Creek to Hunlock's Creek, and thence to "Shickohinna " (now Shickshinny) Creek, and then beyond to Fort Jenkins, James McClure's, Fishing Creek, Montgomery's, Scull's, and Northumberland, the road followed the windings of the river, at a dis- tance of from one-half to three-quarters of a mile from the right bank.
Upon reaching the mouth of Shickshinny Creek Captain Bush's detachment took the old Indian path, or trail-then but seldom traveled -leading from the river at that point through the present townships of Union and Huntington, then crossing the North Mountain range, and, running a westerly course, striking the West Branch of the Susque- lianna at the mouth of Muncy Creek.} The detachment arrived at Fort Muncy on September 18th, having performed the difficult march in less than five days.
In a "narrative " of his expedition-which Colonel Hartley pre- pared upon the completion of the enterprise, and forwarded to the Supreme Executive Council of the State-he said§ :
* See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," IX:195. ¡ It followed pretty closely the course of the old Indian path leading to Shamokin-noted on the map on page 454, Vol. I.
With reference to the country traversed by this . Indian path, see the map facing page 790, ante, and the map in Chapter XXIII.
§ See "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, VII : 5.
AT THE BEND OF THE SUSQUEHANNA OPPOSITE ROSS STREET. Showing Fish's Island Rose Hill the Woodward Colliers etc in the distance
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" With volunteers and others we reckoned on 400 rank and file for the expedition, besides seventeen horse, which I mounted from my own regiment. Our rendezvous was Fort Muncy, on the West Branch, intending to penetrate by the Sheshecununk [Sheshe- quin] path to Tioga. The troops met at Muncy fort the 18th September, and they amounted to only about 200 rank and file. * * On the morning of the 21st, at four o'clock, we marched, carrying twelve days' provisions. We met with great rains and prodigious swamps, mountains, defiles, etc. We waded or swam the river Lycoming upwards of twenty times. * * In lonely woods and groves we found the haunts and lurking places of the savage murderers who had desolated our frontiers. We saw the huts where they had dressed and dried the scalps of the helpless women and children who had fell in their hands. On the morning of the 26th our advance party of nineteen met with an equal number of Indians on the path. A very important Indian chief was killed and scalped, and the rest fled. No time was lost. We advanced toward Sheshe- quin, in the neighborhood of which we took fifteen prisoners. We learned that a man had deserted from Captain Spalding's company at Wyoming, after the troops had marched from thence, and had given the enemy notice of our intended expedition against them."
The route taken by the Hartley Expedition was what was known as the "Slieshequin Path." It began at Muncy and ran thence along Lycoming Creek to its head, near the south-west corner of the present Bradford County. There the path divided-one branch leading north- ward through Newtown (now Elmira), New York, to Kanadesaga (men- tioned on page 967), and the other branch following Towanda Creek for some distance, then crossing the country to Sugar Creek on the north, following along that stream, eastwardly, for a few miles, and then run- ning in a northerly direction till it joined at ancient Sheshequin (now Ulster, Bradford County, Pennsylvania) the great path along the Sus- quehanna.
After the skirmish with the Indians on September 26th, as previ- ously mentioned, " it was certain that, although the expedition had been concealed from the enemy thus far, it could be so no longer," states Dr. Craft in his paper, "The Hartley Expedition."* "The fleeing Indians would give the alarm, and a force be collected to receive them as soon as they emerged from the wilderness. Whatever success the expedition might now achieve would depend upon the celerity of its movements in reaching Tioga before the enemy could collect his forces, which, owing to the recent attacks upon the New York frontiers, were considerably scattered. To push forward with all possible speed was now the order. A little farther on * * they discovered where upwards of seventy warriors had slept the night before, on their way to the frontier settle- ments. The fleeing Indians from the party encountered a little time ago communicated to these their panic, and all ran off to the towns on the Chemung."
The expedition reached Esthertownt (mentioned on page 984) after dark on September 26th, but, without halting, proceeded onward, forded the Chemung, or Tioga, River, and bivouacked for the night in the
* See "Proceedings and Collections of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," IX:200.
" There seems to be some dispute as to the exact locality which Esthertown occupied. Governed by what we deemed some time ago to be the most satisfactory evidence obtainable, we have stated on page 984, ante, that the village in question stood "one mile south of the mouth of the Tioga River,
** near where the village of Milan, in the township of Ulster," now stands. Since this statement was printed, certain unpublished data relative to the subject having been brought to our attention, we have carefully considered the same, and, in connection therewith, have read the references to the site of Esthertown which are made in the journals of Serg't Moses Fellows, Thomas Grant, Lieut. Colonel Hubley, Maj. James Norris, the Rev. William Rogers and Lieut. Charles Nukerck, printed in "Journals of the Military Expedition of Maj. Gen. John Sullivan." Also, we have examined the "View of Tioga" sketched on the spot by Lieutenant Nukerck in August, 1779, and likewise the sketch of Tioga Point made by Lieut. Colonel Hubley at the same time, and reproduced in Chapter XVIII, post. The conclusion is irresistible that Esthertown was located, not in the present township of Ulster, but in the township of Athens, at a short distance north of Milan, and between one-half and three-quarters of a mile below the mouth of Tioga River. In this place it would have been "not far from, and in full view of, the 'Point,'" as described by one writer, and "a little below, and in full sight of, the 'Point,' " as mentioned in a narrative by another writer.
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abandoned Indian village on Tioga Point. At this place another prisoner was taken, and from him it was learned that Capt. Walter N. Butler, of the "Rangers," had been at Tioga a few hours before the arrival of the expedition-" that he had 300 men with him, the most of them Tories dressed in green ; that they had gone towards Chemung, twelve miles off ; that they were determined to give battle." In his " narrative," previously referred to, Colonel Hartley declared :
"It was soon resolved we should proceed no further, but if possible make our way good to Wyoming. We burnt Tioga, Queen Esther's Palace, or town, and all the settle- ments on this [tlie west] side [of the Susquehanna]. Several canoes were taken, and some plunder, part of which was destroyed. Mr. Carberry, with the horse only, was close on Butler. He was in possession of the town of Shawnee, three miles up the * We came to Sheshecanunk that night
Cayuga [Chemung, or Tioga] Branch. * [September 27th]. Had we had 500 regular troops and 150 light troops, with one or two pieces of artillery, we probably might liave destroyed Chemung, which is now the recep- tacle of all villainous Indians and Tories from the different tribes and States. From this [place] they make their excursions against the frontiers of New York, Pennsylvania, Jersey and Wioming. Niagara and Chemung are the asylumis of those Tories who can- not get to New York [City]. On the morning of the 28th we crossed the river and marched towards Wyalusing, where we arrived that night at eleven o'clock-our men much worn down, our whisky and flour gone. On the morning of the 29th we were obliged to stay till eleven o'clock, to kill and cook beef. This necessary stop gave the enemy leisure to approachı. Seventy of our men, from real or pretended lameness, went into the canoes; others rode on the empty pack-horses. We had not more than 120 rank and file to fall in the line of march. *
* The rest [omitting the advance and rear * guards] of our little army was formed into three divisions-those of my regiment com- posing the first, Captain Spalding's the second, and Capt. [James] Murray's* the third. In this order we moved from Wyalusing at twelve o'clock."
Having marched about three miles from Wyalusing, the Americans were apprized of the presence of the enemy by having their advance- guard fired upon. The fire being returned, the enemy retired ; but about a mile farther on the advance-guard met a sharper attack by a larger force. Hartley at once disposed his men to repel the attack, but the enemy again retired. About two o'clock, the Americans having arrived at the deserted plantation of John De Pui (see note, page 1050), at the mouth of Tuscarora Creek, they were again attacked by the enemy. Referring once more to the "narrative " of Colonel Hartley we find the following :
" About two o'clock a very heavy attack was made upon our rear, which obliged the most of our rear-guard to give way, whilst several Indians appeared on our left flank. By the weight of firing we were soon convinced we had to oppose a large body. Captain Stoddart commanded in front, I was in the center, * * whilst Captain Spalding was despatched to support the rear-guard. We gained the heights almost unnoticed by the barbarians. At the critical moment Captains [Hawkins] Boone and [John] Brady, and * * The Lieut. [Robert] King, with a few brave fellows, landed from the canoes.
war-whoop was given by our people below, and communicated round. We advanced on the enemy on all sides, with great shouting and noise. The Indians, after a brave resist- ance of some minutes, conceived themselves nearly surrounded, and fled with the utmost haste by the only passes that remained, and left ten dead on the ground. * * From every account these were a select body of warriors sent after us, consisting of near 200
men. Their confidence and impetuosity probably gave the victory to us. * *
They would have murdered us all had they succeeded, but the great God of Battles protected us in the day of danger. We had four killed and ten wounded. They received such a beating as prevented them from giving us any further trouble during our march to Wyo- ming, which is more than fifty miles from the place of action. The officers of my regi- ment behaved well to a man. All the party will acknowledge the greatest inerit and bravery of Captain Stoddart .; I cannot say enough in his favor. He deserves the esteem
* Sixty Northumberland County "rangers," enlisted for six months.
+ BENJAMIN C. STODDERT, born in Charles County, Maryland, in 1751. January 13, 1777, he was commissioned Captain in Col. Thomas Hartley's regiment of infantry in the First Pennsylvania Bri- gade, in Gen. Anthony Wayne's division. The regiment took part in the battle of Brandywine in September, 1777, when Captain Stoddert was severely wounded. In April, 1779, Captain Stoddert resigned his commission, and shortly afterwards succeeded Maj. Peter Scull as Secretary to the Board of War. In this office he served till 1781. He was the first Secretary of the Navy in Wash- ington's cabinet-serving from 1798 to 1801. He died in 1813.
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of his country. Mr. Carbery, with his Horse, was very active, and rendered important services till his horses were fatigued. Nearly all the other officers acquitted themselves with reputation. Captain Spalding exerted himself as much as possible. * * The men of my regiment were armed with muskets and bayonets. They were no great marks- men, and were awkward at wood fighting. The bullet and three swan shot in each piece made up in some measure for the want of skill."*
Colonel Hartley arrived at Wilkes-Barré with his command Octo- ber 1, 1778, and the same day he issued the following orderst :
" It is agreeable to the Articles of War in general, and to the Articles of these States in particular, that the whole of the articles taken upon any excursion or expedition (sim- ilar to the one in which we have engaged), called by the name of plunder (except mili- tary stores), should be the property of the whole party who took the same; otherwise there would be the highest encouragement to worthless men to quit their duty and go in search of plunder.
" The Colonel commandant orders Captains Stoddert, Spalding and Murray, with the assistance of Lieutenant King, Quartermaster, to examine into the number of articles plundered, and make report to-morrow. All persons who have been engaged in this expedition are ordered to make an exact return1, of the articles taken and now in their pos- session, to those four gentlemen this evening or to-morrow morning. Should any one volunteer or other be hardy enough to conceal any article, he shall be punished [accord- ing] to military laws, and his character and punishment published."
At Wilkes-Barré, under the date of October 2, 1778, Colonel Hartley issued the following orders :
" The Colonel commandant orders the sale of the goods ( taken from the enemy by the detachment under his command) to begin-Capt. [George] Bush, Vendue Master and Cashier; Capt. [John] Brady, Clerk; Captains [Benjamin C. ] Stoddert, [Simon ] Spalding and [James] Murray to superintend the vendue. Any officer of the detachment may bid till £10 without cash, but for anything above that sum one of the above officers or a Cap- tain of one of the Continental companies must be security-to pay in ten days. A non- commissioned officer, or soldier, may bid to any sum not exceeding £5; an officer must be security for anything above. Any other persons not belonging to the detachment may bid for any articles, but must pay cash for the same.
" The money arising from these sales to be disposed of as follows : The Colonel, his Captains and subalterns, Captain Spalding and his subalterns, Captain Murray and his subalterns, Captain [Hawkins] Boone, Captain Brady, Mr. Carbury, Mr. Chatham, Mr. Sims, Mr. Robert King, Mr. William Stewart, Mr. Boyd, Mr. McCoy, Mr. Wiggins, Mr. Allison, Mr. Barkley, and Captains Camplen and [John] Franklin each to draw two shares. The rest of the whole detachment -horse and foot, volunteers and others-each to draw one share."
* In Cruikshank's "The Story of Butler's Rangers" (frequently mentioned in the preceding chap- ter), we find (on page 54) the following reference to the Hartley Expedition-based, presumably, on correspondence and reports found by the author among the "Haldimand Papers."
"Late in August [1778] Capt. Walter N. Butler returned from Quebec. As senior Captain, * Butler superseded Caldwell [in command of the 'Rangers']. [See page 1045, last paragraph. ] * Caldwell was then detached with 200 'Rangers' and 160 Indians against the German Flats, where there were two large forts occupied by a Continental regiment. Advancing swiftly through the woods from Unadilla, he met and captured a party of Oneidas. He had good reason to suspect that these Indians were scouts in the enemy's service, but his own Indians insisted that they should be liberated. *
* On his return to Unadilla, Caldwell had the mortification to learn that the Oneidas he had liberated had plundered the Loyalists there and carried off some prisoners, among them two sick 'Rangers.' This was followed by a formidable inroad by a body of regulars and militia, estimated at 1,400, under Col- onel Hartley, piloted by [Col. Nathan] Denison and others who had surrendered at Wyoming. Another force from Schoharie advanced at the same time upon Oghwaga and Unadilla. They burnt both those villages, with the houses and mills of the Scottish Loyalists in the vicinity. By this raid the Young family, which had already furnished Butler with two active officers, suffered severely in property.
"Hartley ascended the Susquehanna as far as Tioga, desolating the farms of many Loyalists as he advanced, and burnt the Indian village there. He then sent a written message to the chiefs of Chemung, a few miles distant, accusing them of killing women and children and torturing prisoners. He threatened to waste their country with 'fire and sword' if they delayed to sue for peace. Capt. [Walter N. ] Butler had retired to Kanadesaga, where he was joined by Caldwell with the 'Rangers.' The Senecas rapidly assembled 400 men, leaving only their women and children to take care of their villages. Convinced that if the Six Nations 'were forced to a neutrality, Niagara would be in great danger,' Colonel Bolton sent a few volunteers from the 8tb [Regiment] to join him. Finding himself at the head of 800 men, Butler prepared to attack Hartley, when he retreated with every sign of haste. His [Hartley's ] rear-guard was fiercely assailed, and lost fifteen men, but carried off five Indian scalps."
Among the "Haldimand Papers" (B. M. 21,765, B. 105, p. 53) is a letter from Capt. John John- ston (see page 1033, ante) to Maj. John Butler at Fort Niagara, written at Kanadesaga, September 30, 1778, in which the writer states that he is collecting Indians to assist Captain Butler; that runners have brought word that three parties from Wyoming are coming to demolish the Six Nation country; that one of these parties has been defeated at Tioga by the Indians-most of the party being cut to pieces, and some drowned; that he is doing all he can to meet the main body which is advancing. Capt. Walter Butler and his forces remained at and near Tioga Point until early in November, 1778, wben, as related on page 930, they set out for Cherry Valley. Cruikshank says: "Butler saw that tbe favor- able moment for a counterstroke had arrived. While strong parties dogged the steps of the retreating enemy [Hartley's Expedition], he marched with 200 'Rangers,' a small party of the 8th Regiment, and 321 Indians, against Cherry Valley, where they had long been forming magazines and collecting cattle."
t See "Collections and Proceedings of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VII:120.
F .
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In the morning of October 3d four members of Capt. James Murray's Northumberland County Rangers, who had imprudently left Camp Westmoreland to go in search of potatoes on the Kingston flats, were surprised there by a band of Indians who killed three of the men and wounded the fourth. The latter escaped across the river to the camp .* On this same day Colonel Hartley issued the following orders :
"Colonel Hartley takes the opportunity of returning his thanks to the officers and soldiers-volunteers and others-under his command on the late expedition, for their good conduct and perservation (?) during that toilsome and dangerous march midst hunger, wad- ing of rivers at midnight. * * * No complaints were heard-all was submission and resignation in action. Several of the Continental officers distinguished themselves. Cap- tain Boone and Captain Champlane of the volunteers deserve particularly to be named. Capt. [John] Franklin, with his volunteers from Wyoming, were very useful in this expedi- tion. In short, with very few exceptions, the whole detachment have acquitted themselves with the highest reputation; and they have this further satisfaction, to know they have saved the lives of many and served their country. Sergeant Allison and Sergeant Thornbury, for their good conduct on the march and their great bravery in action, are appointed Ensigns in Colonel Hartley's regiment.
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