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 III > Part 20
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"But strong of limb And swift of foot misfortune is, and, far Ontstripping all, comes first to every land, And there wreaks evil on mankind Which prayers do afterward redress."
Homer's Iliad.
"See how the noble river's swelling tide, Augmented by the mountains melting snows, Breaks from its banks, and o'er the region flows." Blackmore.
Returning now to Wilkes-Barre we find that the Pennsylvania Commis- sioners, Joseph and William Montgomery and Moses McClean (see [t] note, page 1316), with their assistants, arrived here on Tuesday, April 15, 1783, bringing to the inhabitants their first news of the proclamation of King George and the resolve of Congress with respect to the ending of the Revolutionary War.
Concerning the coming of the Commissioners, Col. John Franklin wrote*, some twelve years later, as follows:
"The settlers having had previous notice had appointed a Committee [Judge John Jenkins, Sr., Col. Nathan Denison, Lieut Obadiah Gore and Lient Samuel Shippard] to transact the business in behalf of the whole [people]. Immediately after the arrival of the Commissioners they re- quested a meeting of the inhabitants, which was complied with. The Commissioners stated the business of their mission, the Resolves of the Assembly were read, and they informed the people that they should proceed according to their instructions from the Assembly; and particularly in- formed the people that after they had made their report to the Assembly-which would be in
*About the year 1794 or '95 Col. Franklin wrote a very full and extended "Brief" of The Susquehanna Company's case. It has never heen printed, and is now in the possession of The Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. It comprises 106 pages, in the handwriting of Colonel Franklin, and contains extracts from the records of Connecticut and The Susquehanna Company, and a brief statement of the doings at Wyoming from 1762 to 1787. This MS. was prepared by Colonel Franklin for the information of the Hon. William Lewis, of Philadelphia, one of the counsel for the defendent in the notable case of Vanhorne's lessee vs. Dorrance tried in April, 1795 and more fully referred to, hereinafter.
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August next coming-an Act would be passed authorizing and directing the choice of Justices of the Peace; and that the settlers would have the privilege of electing their own Justices, accord- ing to the laws and Constitution of Pennsylvania. It was proposed to the Commissioners to transact the business of their mission with the Committee of Settlers in writing, which was agreed to."
Contemporaneously with the coming of the Commissioners, there arrived at Wilkes-Barré a committee representing the Pennsylvania land-claimers, or Pennamites, among whom the Yankee settlers recognized some of their oldest and bitterest antagonists. The chairman of this Pennamite committee was Capt. Alexander Patterson*, of Northampton County. Miner says ("History
*ALEXANDER PATTERSON, whose name is frequently mentioned in these pages, appeared for the first time as a participant in Wyoming affairs during the months of January, February and March, 1769, as narrated on pages 475 and 476, Vol. I He was a native of Ireland, where he was born about 1738, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He came to Pennsylvania prior to 1763, and settled in Northampton County. According to his "Petition to the Pennsylvania Legislature", referred to on pages 626, 703, 868 and 1064, Vol. II, "as early as the year 1763 he commanded a post on the frontier against the Indians; and in the memorable campaign of 1764 to Oswego, Niagara and Detrnit, he was an active officer In 1769 he was solicited by John Penn (the Proprietary of Pennsylvania) and Chief Justice Allen, to take an active part against the Connecticut intruders, who were pursuing an unfounded claim. In the month of February, in the same year, he proceeded with John Jennings, Sheriff of Northampton, and others, and brought to Easton gaol the first forty of the intruders, who had attempted to seat themselves at Wyoming. They were liberated upon their parole, promising to give no further trouble to Pennsylvania They, however, with many others, returned the Mareb following and pitched at Lackawanna, ten miles abnve Wyoming [Wilkes-Barre], from whence he, with others, again brought them off, at a distance of seventy-five miles."
From that time until the breaking out of the War of the Revolution Alexander Patterson was active in supporting the claims and furthering the interests of the Pennsylvania land-claimers to and in the Wyoming lands; and, as here- inbefore noted, various tracts of those lands were either leased or warranted to him by the Proprietaries or their re- presentatives. Among them was a large tract in the Manor of Stoke, that lay within the limits of either the township of Wilkes-Barre or Hanover. Also a large tract at Bear Creek, including the "mill pond."
By resolution of Congress in September, 1776, the 12th Pennsylvania Regiment of Font, for the Continental service, was authorized to be raised in the counties of Northampton and Northumberland. William Cook of North- umberland (see page 818, Vol. II), who was a delegate to the Convention (July 15- September 28, 1776) to formulate and adopt a Constitution for the State of Pennsylvania, was chosen and commissioned Colonel of this regiment; and on October 16. 1776, Alexander Patterson was appointed by the Pennsylvania Council of Safety one of the Captains of the regiment, and was duly commissioned as such. (Dr Andrew Ledlie, of Easton, Pennsylvania, whose name is several times mentioned in these pages, was Surgeon of this regiment from January 1, 1777 to June 30, 1779.)
The greater part of the 12th Regiment was recruited in the valley of the West Branch of the Susquehanna, and December 18, 1776, the regiment left Sunbury in bnats for Middletown nn the Susquehanna, and thence across country. through the counties of Lancaster and Chester, for the battle-fields of New Jersey. Being composed of good riflemen and scouts, it was detailed on picket and skirmish duty. It, with the 3d, 6th and 9th Pennsylvania Regiments, was in the brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas Conway.
The "1"t'i" was engaged in various skirmishes in New Jersey in April, May and June, 1777. One of them necurred at Bonham Town, April 15, and was described in a letter from there of that date published in the Pennsylvania Evening Post (Philadelphia) of April 22, 1777, as follows: "A detachment under the command of Capt. Alexander Patterson of the Pennsylvania 12th Regiment, commanded by Colonel Cook, attacked the picquet-guard of the enemy at two D'elock this morning, about 400 yards from Bonham Town, and, after a short but obstinate engagement, the whole of the guard-twenty-five in number-were killed and taken prisoners. Lieutenant Frazier of the 75th Regiment was killed on the spot. The enemy, though advantageously posted, did not attempt to support their guards, but retired with precipitation to their works. Our officers and soldiers behaved with the greatest coolness and courage on this occasion. Their conduct would do honor to the best disciplined troops."
In the battle of the Brandywine (September 11, 1777) the "12th" was engaged under Sullivan at Birmingham Meeting-house, losing heavily. At the battle of Germantown (October 4, 1777) Conway's brigade led the attack on the left wing of the British, being in front of the troops that composed the right wing of the American army, and losing heavily.
The "12th" wintered with the rest of the army at Valley Forge, and at the battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778) the remnant of it was nearly destroyed. Meanwhile, early in April, 1778, the Pennsylvania Assembly had appointed a committee to confer upon the best means of reducing three of the Pennsylvania regiments, and finally it was ordered that the "12th" should be incorporated with the "3d"-which arrangement went into effect July 1, 1778.
Some time in the Spring of 1778 Captain Patterson was detailed Du recruiting service, and at Easton, Pennsylvania, under the date of April 22, 1778, he wrote to the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania as follows: "I beg leave to transmit to you an account of my bad success in the recruiting service. I have used every means in my power to engage men for the service, and have spent a great deal of money in traveling through the County [of Northampton] to little purpose. 1 have only enlisted eight men, five of whom I have sent to camp. The other three are deserted! I have no hopes of doing any gnod for my country in this service; therefore would beg your Honours, if it be your pleasure, to order me to camp, where perhaps I may be of some [good]." ("Pennsylvania Archives," Old Series, VI: 432.)
Upon the consolidation of the 3d and 12th regiments, July 1, 1778, Captain Patterson became superonmerary, and about that time was detailed to the Quartermaster General's department and assigned to duty in Northampton County, with beadquarters at Brinker's Mills, later known as Sullivan's Stores, and still later as Saylorsburg. (See pages 1167 and 1169. Vol. II.)
In his "Petition to the Pennsylvania Legislature", previously mentioned, Captain Patterson gives a brief narrative of his services in the army. He states that he "had often had the honor of commanding the 12th Regiment by reason of the indisposition of the Colonel and incapacity of other field officers. After the battle of Trenton [December 26, 1776], he was stationed during the remainder of the Winter and Spring on the most advanced post of the American army, and was in several fights and skirmishes. He had general thanks on the public parade for sigual address in the battle of Brandywine. In Germantown he lost his Lieutenant and many brave soldiers; and at Whitemarsh his superior knowledge in discipline was esteemed by General Conway-who possessed a greater knowledge of tactics than any man in America." Captain Patterson does not state in his "Petition" the date of his discharge from the Continental military service; but it was probably in the latter part of 1779 or early in 1780 (when the reduction of the army was begun), inasmuch as, when he applied in April, 1818, for a United States pension, "his application was allowed for three years' actual service as a Captain in the Pennsylvania troops in the Revolutionary War."
At Easton, Pennsylvania, in August, 1782, Capt. Alexander Patterson, Capt. Philip Shrawder (see [*] note on page 1321), John Dick (whose name appears several times in earlier chapters of this History), William Moore Smith and several other Free Masons petitioned the Grand Lodge of Ancient York Masons of Pennsylvania for a warrant for a Lodge to be held at Easton. The Rev. Dr. William Smith (see note, page 872, Vol. 11), at that time Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, recommended the petitioners "in the warmest manner, both as men and Masons." William Moore Smith was the son of the Rev. Dr. Smith, and it was provided that he was to be Master of the new Lodge (which was to be "No. 38"), and Captain Patterson was to be its Senior Warden. (See "Old Masonic Lodges of Pennsylvania", II: 141.)
In 1783 Captain Patterson became a member of the Pennsylvania Branch of the Society of the Cincinnati.
Almost immediately upon the pronnuncement of the Decree nf Trenton Captain Patterson came to the front as one of the most active and aggressive leaders in the ranks of the Peninamite land-claimers; and he continued at the
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forefront of these assailants of the characters, persons and homes of the Wyoming settlers up to and beyond the close of the Second Peunamite-Yankee War -- as the reader will learn from a perusal of the subsequent pages of this chapter. The prize-the rich and wide-extended acres of Wyoming-for which the Pennamites and Yankees were contend- ing, was a very valuable one. Moreover, Captain Patterson was, undoubtedly, a plain-spoken man of much physical courage and hravery; and so, as he belonged to that straightforward and, at times, cold-hearted, race, the Scotch- Irish, it was to be expected that, in his unbounded zeal for the Pentamite cause, and because of his acquired rights in Wyoming lands under Pennsylvania title, he would say and do many things calculated to embitter, in overflowing measure, his Yankee adversaries. It is certain that they ahominated him to a degree equal to his detestation and despisement of them.
That Captain Patterson was held in high regard hy some of the leading citizens of Pennsylvania and New Jersey who were his contemporaries, is evidenced hy a letter addressed to the Hon. Thomas Mifflin, Governor of Pennsylvania, under the date of October 22, 1798, and reading as follows: "The subscribers understanding that there will probably be a vacancy in the office of Prothonotary of Northampton County, and that Alexander Patterson, Esq., designs to solicit the appointment to the said office in the event of the vacancy thereof, beg leave to recommend him to his Ex- cellency the Governor for the said appointment.
"To a Chief Magistrate who unites in his own person the talents and the experience of a General and Statesman, and in a country whose liberty has been achieved by the martial prowess of its citizens, and whose Independence must be preserved by a combination of the military with the civil virtues, we deem it no slight recommendation of a candidate for an office-even in the civil department-that he served with courage and reputation in the Revolutionary War.
"The etnoluments of public offices cannot be more honorably appropriated than to the comfort and support of the old soldier in the evening of his days; and, independently of his service in the army of the United States, Mr. Patterson's sacrifices on the part of this State, in the most hazardous periods of the Wyoming controversy, under the orders of the Supreme Executive Council, seem to give him a peculiar claim to remuneration from the Government of Penn- sylvania. When to these considerations of former usefulness are superadded his undeviating attachment to the General and State Constitutions, his unvarying zeal for the true interests of his country, the actual respectability and integrity of his character, and his fitness and ability to execute the duties of the office he solicits-with advantage to the public -we venture to express our opinion that he applies with the strongest claims to the confidence and patronage of the Executive.
[Signed] "Francis Murray, George Camphell, J. M. Nesbitt, Charles Stewart, Isaac Smith, Aaron Dunham, Mark Thomson, Thomas Sinnickson, Samuel Miles, John Ewing."
Notwithstanding the high praise hestowed upon him by the signers of the foregoing document, Captain Patterson failed to receive the appointment he sought.
From the published "Journal of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania for 1803-'04", page 187, we gleati the following: "Tuesday, January 10, 1804-Mr. Coolbaugh presented a petition signed by Alexander Patterson, containing a lengthy narrative of the rise and progress of the Wyoming controversy, and the many atrocities committed hy the Connecticut intruders, and praying the attention of the Legislature to the numerous and important services rendered to the State by the petitioner, and an equitable compensation for such services; and said petition was read and referred (with sundry documents) to the committee appointed the 12th ultimo on the subject of the Wyoming Controversy."
The petition thus mentioned was the one referred to on pages 626, 703, 868, 1064, etc., hereinbefore.
On January 16, 1804, Mr. Maclay (see note on page 759, Vol. II), from the Committee on the Wyoming Contro- versy, aforementioned, reported to the House, in hehalf of the committee, with respect to Captain Patterson's petition. as follows: "That they have examined the same with attention, and are fully satisfied with respect to the meritorious conduct of the said Alexander Patterson, not only with regard to the United States, but in a particular manner as the same respects the State of Pennsylvania; and have also considered the circumstances of his private affairs, which call for immediate relief and support. They therefore offer the following: 'Resolved, That a committee be appointed to bring in a Bill granting to Alexander Patterson an annuity of dollars for life, payable half-yearly. * * Said annuity to commence January 1, 1800'." This report was duly adopted, and referred to a committee; and upon the report of this committee, the Legislature passed and the Governor approved, February 10, 1804, an Act granting to Captain Patterson "a pension of $400., and an annuity of $100. to be paid semi-annully during his life, for services rendered "
Col John Franklin and John Jenkins, Jr., were the Representatives from Luzerne County at this session of the Legislature, and upon the return home of Colonel Franklin he wrote, and had published in The Luzerne Federalist (Wilkes Barre) of April 21, 1804, the following "Communication":
"At the late session of the Legislature of this State a petition was presented by Alexander Patterson, stating the services which he professes to have rendered the State in destroying the settlements of the Connecticut claimants at Wyoming, previous to and during the War, and praying a compensation therefor. In this petition he pretends to give a general hi tory of the proceedings of both parties before the Decree of Trenton. The Legislature, in their wisdom, have thought proper to grant him a gratuity of $400., and a pension of $100. a year during life.
"The dirty pages of blackguardism, falsehood and scurrility would be searched in vain for a mate to the petition of Patterson; and if our Legislature had felt one spark of that manly pride which the Representatives of Pennsylvania ought to feel, they would have thrown it under the table as an insult upon the House. The petition has been published [an 8vo pamphlet, printed by Robert Bailey, South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania], and, it is said, by the order and at the expense of the Committee of Landholders. The general character of the gentlemen who compose that committee forbids the idea. They would not disgrace themselves by sending into the world so indecent a production, even if they knew it would entirely destroy the Connecticut claims. It is hoped the committee will free themselves from this disgraceful imputation."
Captain Patterson's "Petition" was printed in full in The Luzerne Federalist (Wilkes-Barre) May 26, 1804. In the Federalist of June 30, 1804, there was printed a communication from Colonel Franklin, over the nom de plume "Plain Truth", in which Captain Patterson and his "Petition" were severely assailed; and from time to time in sub- sequent issues of the Federalist, up till February, 1805, there were printed other "Plain Truth" articles, in which Captain Patterson was handled without gloves, and his doings in and near Wilkes-Barre during the years 1783 and '84 were fully and freely ventilated These articles caused considerable annoyance to Captain Patterson and his friends, and they replied, hotly and indignantly, through the columns of other newspapers, to some of "Plain Truths" attacks. The following paragraphs are from one of those replies, published in The American Eagle (Easton, Pennsylvania) September 1, 1804.
"In the perspicacious and rapid depravity of the times, and among other predominant evils, we are constrained to observe that certain envious, churlish, assuming and paltry malignants are perpetually endeavoring to stigmatize and load with ohloquy all the ancient Revolutionary characters. These black detracting ingrates sicken at the idea of such vast superior merit, and vomit their bitterness against, and endeavor to lessen, illustrious achievements such as they never had nor will have virtue, capacity or courage to imitate or perform. Among these herds are the fair- weather, chimney-corner, defamatory, gin-shop Jacks, with certain infamous place-men, confederated with the Conn- ecticut intrusive vagrants at Wyoming, who, in The Luzerne Federalist-that vehicle of filth, and fag-end of all informa- tion-under the direction of that perfidious scapegallows, John Franklin, continue to insinuate that our old veterani, Alexander Patterson, was not a conspicuous character in the army of the United States in the eventful hut glorious establishment of our Independence. * * *
"His public character is summed up in his fidelity, enterprise and dignified opposition to that abandoned den of miscreants, the Connecticut intruders, which alone has endeared him to all men of respectability, and inspired the gratitude of his country. The honorary law passed in his favor February 10, 1804, announces that he, as a Captain in the army of the United States, rendered essential service to this State in the Revolutionary War. This grateful acknowledgment will ever remain on record, an indelible testimony to his worth and a refutation of groveling calumny." Surely the editors and publishers of some of the newspapers printed in Pennsylvania in 1804 believed in the doctrine of give and take!
Candid and unbiased readers of the "Petition" of Captain Patterson must admit that it served him as a medium through which he poured out a vitriolic torrent of epithet and abuse upon the heads of the Connecticut settlers at Wyoming. He refers to them as "a set of abandoned desperadoes, excluded from society in every part of the Union. and whose practise has long been to bully the State and pillage its citizens." In another paragraph he describes them
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of Wyoming", page 318) that the coming of the Commissioners and the committee of land-claimers caused "a moment of intense, of painful, anxiety."
The land-claimers lost no time in formally bringing themselves to the atten- tion of the Commissioners-which they did by means of the following letter *: "Wyoming, 17th April, 1783.
"Gentlemen,
"The Committee appointed to Represent the Claimants under the State of Pennsylvania, beg leave to address you and bid you welcome to Wyoming, as the Representatives of the Honor- able Assembly of this State. Your appointment and appearance here will we hope answer the good Purposes intended in the attainment whereof we assure that every proper Indeavour shall be on our part so far as our Interest or personal influence extends. We wish as much as Possible to bury in Oblivion the Treatment our Associates and fellow Citizens have received on those Lands, on which we first entered peaceably and quietly under the Lawful Authority of this Govern- ment. But cannot help Observing that some of the fairest Characters and most worthy Citizens have lost their lives, by men who forced us and others from our Possessions, even without the pretention of authority from any Government Whatever; and for years have bid defyance to the laws & Powers of Pennsylvania.
"We find by the list of injured Purchasers, that we are Called to Represent the Widows and Orphans of Many brave men who have fallen in the Common cause of their Country, as well as ourselves, and others, who have impowered us to Appear for them. Our Grait and only aim is to set forth facts that are incontestably True; To Wit; that we were in quiet and Peacable Posses- sion of those Lands before the intruders from Connecticut came here; that they took Possession by force, Plundered us of our property and Effects, and Compelled us to abandon our Settlement fairly Purchased from the lawful owners.
"But we trust the day is now Come, or near at hand, when civil Government will be restored and the laws Executed, so as to protect us and our Associates from any further insults; That the State of which we deem it an Honour to be called Citizens will extend its Wholesome Laws to this quarter, and that in future we shall enjoy the Blessings of Civil Government, and Re-possess the Property Wrested from us by lawless Force.
"The unanamous and impartial decision of the Court, which lately decided upon the Juris- diction and Preemption of this Country, Opens the way for a fair and full enquiry into the Justice of our Claims as individuals, the foundation of which will doubtless be laid before you by the Proper Officers. We have only to assure you that we shall patiently wate your deliberations, and pursue the steps that your prudence shall point out for Recovering of our Rights, as we deem it our duty to be directed by your Opinions, and to Recommend them as a present Law here. We must beg your Honours will be Patient in hearing the Complaints of our Constitutents, which we shall lay before you from time to time. By this mode we shall fully inform you of the situation of the sufferers and your Wisdom will lead to the most Effectual Measures of Certain Redress.
"We are, in behalf of the Claimants under Pennsylvania, now assembled at Wyoming and by order of the Committee. [Signed] "ALEXR. PATTERSON, "Chairman."
"To the Honorable the Commissioners, appointed by the General Assembly of Penna. for certain purposes. Now at Wyoming."
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