USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855 > Part 25
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
O. N. Worden, in a short history of the Baptist churches, pub- lished in Meginness' History of the West Branch, quotes from the minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, (1794 :) "A letter was received and read from the church in Buffalo Valley, Northum- berland county, requesting to be received into the association. Post- poned, no messenger appearing to receive the right hand of fellow- ship." Mr. Worden adds that there were a few Baptists and preach- ing stations in Buffalo Valley after the Revolution, but there is no knowledge of any Baptist church in Buffalo Valley until the forma- tion of the Lewisburg church, in 1844.
Colonel James Moore informs me that Colonel William Cham- berlin was a Baptist ; and after his arrival in the Valley, with other New Jersey people of the same persuasion, he probably made an effort to establish a Baptist church, which was abandoned, on ac- count of the distance the people lived from each other.
Additional Taxables, East Buffalo-Beatty, James; Bickle, Chris- topher ; distillery, erected by Conrad Reedy ; Elliot, George ; Free- man, Doctor ; Pfreemer, Reverend George ; Gray, Robert ; Harris, Widow Mary; Hoy, John ; Lytle, Anthony ; Lutz, Jacob; Mc- Clellan, James ; McConnel, William ; Mclaughlin, John ; Schrack,
28+
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
[1794.
Benjamin ; Smith, William, store-keeper, Lewisburg ; Steel, David ; Stockman, Nathan ; Thompson. Benjamin.
Additional Taxables, White Deer-Armstrong, Andrew ; Awl, Samuel : Elder, James and John ; Fisher, Christian ; Goodlander, Christian : Henderson, William ; Hilliard, Guy ; Hoffman, John ; Jordan, Widow; Luther, Andrew ; McCorley, Widow ; McGines, Thomas : Martin, Hugh; Reninger, George ; Riddle, George ; Woods, John.
Penn's-Drum, Charles, grist and saw-mill; Forey, Christian ; Hendricks, Samuel ; Landis, George ; Menges, Adam, grist and saw-mill : Ott, George; Page, Abraham, still; Pawling, Joseph ; Reish, Daniel, saw-mill ; Ritter, Simon, still ; Stober,. William ; Tryon, Frederick, fiddle ; Wetzel, Philip.
Beaver-Aurand, Henry and George ; Cummings, James ; Ewing, Thomas : Ewing, John ; Gill, William ; Hendricks, Jacob, mill ; Harman, Samuel ; Hileman, Adam, mill ; Romich, Joseph ; Ship- ton, Thomas ; Shultz, John ; Troxell, John ; Wilson, Moore.
Dietrich Aurand, who had followed milling at different places down the river, removed, with his family, into the Valley, and set- tled on a farm on Turtle creek, midway between its source and out- let, about five miles above Jenkins' mill. The farm he was on had a reserved water right, and was given to him by his father, with the design that he should build a merchant mill on it, and he intended so to do ; but the Hessian fly having proved very destructive to the wheat crops for upwards of ten years, he lost severely in purchases of wheat for the French, and lost by bailing, so he could not build the mill, and had to sell and remove to an adjoining farm, in 1801.
Mr. Morrison's Sermons.
The late James McClellan, Esquire, left his father's home, near Fagg's Manor church, Chester county, on the 2d of April. He had been in the habit for years of writing down a skeleton of the ser- mons of Messrs. Sample, Latta, senior and junior, Smith, senior and junior, Barr, Dayton, Mitchel, Findley, and others, who filled the pulpit there. The last, by Mr. Sample, was March 15. Then his manuscript is destroyed, and the next that can be made out is 18th of May, John xv, from the 16th to the end, by Mr. Morrison.
285
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
1794.]
He says parsed by Mr. Morrison, and nothing but what is clearly contained in the verses offered. From the few skeletons preserved by Esquire McClellan, Mr. Morrison seems to have fallen into the lazy habits, still indulged in by some of our present preachers, of com- menting on quite a number of verses, instead of delivering a logical and prepared discourse on one thenie. For instance, his fast-day sermon, June 13, on Matthew v, Ist to the 9th, is stenographed thus : " This is Christ's sermon on the mount. He went up on a mountain, some of the commentators say, because the law was given on a mountain. However, he made choice of this place to deliver his sermon. Verse 2 : He opened his mouth, expressive of deliber- ation, judgment, and authority, and taught. Verse 3 : This cannot mean poor in possession, as some allow, as some are poor and wicked ; but it means those children of God who are broken under a sense of guilt, whatever their external circumstances may be, but frequently it is that of middle circumstances. Verse 5 : The ' meek ' does not mean the external, affected polish which prevails; it means a christian behavior, whereby he serves God as becometh Christians," &c., to the end. Perhaps we do injustice to Mr. Morrison's mem- ory by putting on record this " Chatband" style of preaching, but it is the only memorial, perhaps, in existence to throw any light on his pulpit services, not abilities, may be, as he could make a flaming political harangue.
At a meeting of the German Reformed Synod, held at Read- ing, in May, the Reverend George Geistweit was licensed as a minister, and a call immediately presented him from the Shamokin churches. The congregations in all these regions had been vacant since the Reverend J. Rahauser left them, in 1792. Mr. Geistweit preached statedly at Selinsgrove, Sunbury, &c., and occasionally in Buffalo Valley, in the newly-built town of New Berlin, at Penn's creek, &c. He labored here until the year 1804, when he accepted a call to York, Pennsylvania. He died there, November 11, 1831, aged seventy years, and was buried in the Reformed grave-yard there. There are still (1857) some people living in the Valley who were confirmed and married by him, and speak of him with great affection and gratitude .- Doctor Harbaugh.
Mr. Geistweit bears the enviable reputation of having been one of the kindest and most benevolent of men. It is reported of him
286
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
[1794.
that, on one occasion, he even took the hat from his own head and gave it to a poor wanderer, whose destitute condition appealed to his charity .- Reverend D. Y. Heisler, Fathers German Reformed Church, volume 3, page 77.
The Whisky Insurrection.
September 30. The summer and fall of this year are noted for the excitement through the State, culminating in the whisky insur- rection. Some of the whisky boys determined to erect a liberty pole, at Northumberland ; Judge William Wilson, of Chillisquaque, and Judge Macpherson, of Dry Valley, hearing of it, determined to prevent it. They called upon Daniel Montgomery, also a justice, to assist them. He told them he would pull at the rope if the people required it. He, however, went with them, but rendered them no assistance in suppressing the disturbance. A fight took place ; Judge Wilson read the riot act, as he called it, to disperse the crowd, but they paid no attention to it. One of them presented his musket at the judge, but the old revolutionary captain cocked his pistol and made him put down the musket, under the penalty of having his brains blown out. They arrested the judge. He would not give bail, and they were afraid to put him to jail. In the melee, Jasper Ewing, the prothonotary, drew his pistol and snapped it at William Cooke. See the case reported in I Yeates, 419. Kennedy's Gazette, of 3d December, has General Henry Lee's proclamation to the people of western Pennsylvania, dated at camp, at Parkinson's ferry, November 8, in command of the troops of New Jersey, Mary- land, and Virginia. Also, an advertisement of Doctor Priestly's works, he was then publishing.
Indictments were found versus Robert Irwin, Daniel Montgomery, John Frick, William Bonham, John Mackey, senior, and Samuel McKee. Mr. Meginness says they were tried in Philadelphia, con- victed, and sentenced, and that General Washington pardoned them at the end of twenty days. His account of the riot is, that the liberty pole was erected at the corner of Second and Market streets, in Northumberland. The arsenal was under care of Robert Irwin, (grandfather of the Nesbit brothers of Lewisburg.) The rioters took possession of the arsenal, and distributed the arms. The pole was driven full of nails, and guarded day and night. John Brady,
287
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
1794.]
junior, was deputy marshal, and a very determined man. A col- lision was imminent, when Captain Robert Cooke's company, from Lancaster, arrived, and dispersed the rioters at the point of the bay- onet. An axe was called for to cut the pole down. Mrs. Bernard Hubley came running with one, her sister, Mrs. Jacob Welker, met her and tried to take the axe. Mrs. Hubley got past her, and the pole came down.
This company passed through Buffalo Valley. At Andrew Bill- myer's, a little beyond Lewisburg, a pole had been erected, but the report of the advancing troops got there before they did, and the pole was cut down and hid. The soldiers could not find it, and took their revenge in drinking up all the whisky, eating everything in the house, leaving word that Uncle Sam would pay the bill.
Politics.
By an act of the 2d of April, Dauphin and Northumberland con- stituted our congressional district, and by the act of the 22d of April, Northumberland, Luzerne and Mifflin our senatorial district, electing two members for the term of four years, and Northumber- land became entitled to three members of Assembly.
Slates were at that early day made at Philadelphia, but usually smashed by the people. George Green writes from Philadelphia to Robert Irwin, September 24:
"SON ROBERT : I am at loss to know whether the county of North- umberland or the county of Mifflin, as I understand they are in one district, is entitled to one or two Senators. If two, Mr. Mar- tin, I hear, is to run in your county, and there is a certain Mr. John Culbertson mentioned in the other county. I look upon him as a good man, and if there are two for the district, I could wish the two above-mentioned to run; if but one for the district, you may act as you think proper. I think they are both good men. There are great preparations being made here for an army to go to the Fort Pitt country to subdue the rioters, as they are called. It appears to me to be a serious affair. How it will turn out only time can tell."
The following schedule of election returns is printed in full, so as to show the strength of party in each election district in the county. I found it among Flavel Roan's papers, kindly loaned me by his nephew, Flavel R. Clingan, of Kelly township.
GENERAL ELECTION RETURNS-October 14, 1794.
CONGRESS.
SENATE.
ASSEMBLY.
SHERIFF.
Samuel Maclay.
John Andre Hanna.
John Carson.
George Wilson.
William Hepburn.
Samuel Dale.
Rosewell Wells.
Flavel Roan.
George Hughes.
Jacob Fulmer.
James Davidson.
William Cooke.
Abraham Scott.
Robert Irwin.
John Brady.
Henry Shoemaker.
Christopher Baldy.
William Gray.
M. Withington.
Daniel Aurand.
1. Sunbury, .
331
68
277
131 218
69
296 288
215
72
38
69
130
66
69
83
4 228
39
2. Northumberland,
236
24
125
139
45
91
232
148
112
40
144
67
161
135
7
12
12
6
15
3. Buffalo,
464
14
373
26 460
36
451
381, 418
51
14
1
246
91
16
306
135
20
17
4. Lycoming,
30
245
109
230
14
35
190
71
42,
134
152
52
45
11
2
22
51
80
56 ....
63
5. Ponn's Valley, .
137
17
139
47
127
113
108
28
168
42
49
18
68
5
43
55
25
45
1
20
28
7. Fishing Creek,
364
6
45
258
32
28
323
363
103
243
40
179
135
168
21
9
13
34
8. Turbut,
220
212
267
293
202
48
352
259
294
83
175
18
196
203
134
58
90
120
45
9. Bald Eagle, .
39
206
163
235
25
2
225
20
1
175 121
115
162 102
27
...
455
351
200
Total, .
1979 871
.
1581 1472 1231
337
2303 1706 1386 877
143
211
38
137
176
122
2
28
17
.
.
.
6. Penn's and Beaver,
118
79
.
.
[1794.
.
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
233
DISTRICTS.
.
.
856
324 1196 985 619 607
... .
4
....
66
103
289
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY,
1794.1
Samuel Maclay's large majority will be remarked; also, the still greater popularity of Flavel Roan, as he has a majority in every elec- tion district. It will be noticed that the Federalists ran three revolu- tionary officers, Surgeon Davidson, Colonel Cooke, and Major Abra- ham Scott, for Assembly, yet they were largely defeated by civilians ; Republicans, as the opposition called themselves. This must be attributed to the personal influence of William and Samuel Maclay, and the excitement caused by the whisky tax. William Maclay, I infer from his private journal, differed with General Washington very early in the first session of Congress. The Maclays, though aristocratically descended, their ancestor being Baron Fingal, were intensely democratic in sentiment. We notice William Maclay grumbles at the state or ceremony of Washington's intercourse with Congress and the public; his objections to the President's pres- ence while business was transacted, and his boldness in speaking against the President's measures in open Senate, and the President a listener. These are matters more proper for a biography of Mr. Maclay ; but their reflex influence upon Northumberland county elections must be noted in these Annals.
It will be noticed that Robert Irwin has the highest vote for sheriff. Nevertheless, Governor Mifflin appoints the next highest, John Brady, a Federalist. The law then gave the Governor the privilege of appointing from the two highest candidates. Henry McAdam was elected coroner over Henry Lebo, Paul Baldy, John Gray, &c. Henry Vanderslice was elected county commissioner over Charles Gobin, Thomas Forster, &c. Joseph Barnett, Hugh Beatty, and Robert Clarke, each, had quite a number of votes for Assembly.
In the case of the sheriff, many depositions were filed by the friends of Irwin and those of Brady. In one by John McGrath, he says, having a store to build for Mr. Irwin, on the 29th of Septem- ber, when the tree was hauled in to make the " liberty pole," he watched the pole during the night, using the unfinished store-room for that purpose, without Mr. Irwin's knowledge or concurrence ; that the night of the watch Mrs. Brady gave him a quart of whisky to treat the watch with ; that Lawrence Campbell brought a quart of brandy, and said that Mr. Brady had sent it ; that John Brady said his brother had no more sense than Jimmy Logan, and while his
19
290
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY. [1794.
brother was cutting the pole down here, he was helping to raise one in Milton, and that if they would raise another, he would put a silk flag on it at his own expense.
John Tietsworth swore, a voter in Buffalo told him that when he proposed the name of Brady for sheriff, in Buffalo, " he liked to have got his head broke for doing it," &c.
A memorial to the Governor. signed by William Wilson, William Hepburn, Jasper Ewing, William Gray, Jonathan Walker, Thad- deus Hamilton, Daniel Smith, John Kidd, Bernard Hubley, Joseph J. Wallis, and B. W. Ball, sets forth, " that since the commence- ment of the insurrection to the westward, this county has furnished daily proofs of a disposition inimical to the cause of Government, by erecting what they call liberty poles. One attempt has been made by the friends of Government to cut down these poles, which was attended with imminent danger to the lives of some of our best citizens. The arrival of our friends from Luzerne gave great ac- tivity to the spirit of the county. They were a standard about which the friends of order might rally, and an object of dread and hatred to the party in opposition. After they had been here a few days, General Wilson and Judge Macpherson issued warrants against a number of persons who had been most active in opposition. The sheriff served them, and reported that they willingly submitted and entered into recognizances. But the moment they had done so, we are informed, that they set out through the country with inflam- matory falsehoods against some of our good citizens who were can- didates. Of John Brady, a candidate for the sheriff's office, and a sworn friend of Government, they reported that he had rode his horse over a pole before it was raised, and that he or his brother had assisted in cutting down a pole, and if he was elected, he would summon juries friendly to the Government, and that by it they would all be hung."
They allege that, but for these reports, Brady would have been elected. They further represent John Brady to be strongly in favor of the Government ; that his father and brother were killed by the Indians, and that he had two brothers in the United States service, and allege that Irwin sympathized with the whisky insurrectionists, and ask Governor Mifflin to appoint Brady, although they admit he was two hundred votes behind Irwin.
291
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
1794.7
David Hammond testified that the report among the people was, that William Perry Brady had cut down the liberty or whisky pole at Northumberland, and that they would not vote for John Brady on that account, " as they believed he was against the pole. "
John Hayes (Esquire) testified "that he saw at Derrstown, in Buf- falo township, Robert Irwin, as active a person as there was there in helping to put up a pole that was erected there, with a large flag with a motto thereon, ' Liberty ;' that the people said Brady was for the Government, and, if he was elected, he would do everything in his power against them, as they had been active in raising the pole."
Samuel Maus testified " that he saw John Brady assist raising the first pole at Northumberland, and had heard him say that he had helped raise a pole in Buffalo, and another in Milton, and that he would purchase a very genteel large flag for the next pole at North- umberland, and that his brother was a damned rascal for cutting down the first pole ; that John Brady's girl brought the brandy to the people who were watching the tree for the pole the night before it was raised, and the girl told the people the brandy came from Mr. Brady, upon which the people cried out huzzah ! for John Brady's brandy ! "
William Spring certified that some time in October last John Mason, of Northumberland town, came to James Tawar & Co.'s store and ordered a sufficient piece of red Persian to make colors for the lib- erty pole, and directed it to be charged to John Brady's account, or his own, whichever I thought proper.
Henry Lebo testified that when the first pole was set up in North- umberland, the people, on motion of Mr. Eddy, formed a circle, and sat down, said Eddy in the chair ; that Robert Brady came into the ring with two case bottles of whisky, and called upon him (Lebo) to tell the people this was John Brady's treat, John Brady being in the company; that this deponent, thinking his neighbor Irwin should not be behind in treating the people, went to Irwin's store, and not finding him at home, asked the clerk for a half gallon of whisky, who refused. Mrs. Irwin was then applied to, and she refused; that he then got a half gallon on his own account, took it out to the people, who, thereupon, drank his health.
James Faulkner testified he heard Irwin say that a friend of Brady's told him, "that at a collection of a number of people in Younk-
292
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
[ 1794.
manstown, (a village in Buffalo,) at the raising of a liberty pole, John Brady came along in his route electioneering, at which place he expressed himself too freely against such unlawful measures, which exasperated the people so much, that it had completely ruined his election in the Buffalo district."
Jonathan Walker (afterwards Judge Walker, ) testifies " that John Brady always was, and still is, opposed to liberty poles ; that Wil- liam Bonham, John Mackey, and Daniel Montgomery, were the prin- cipal persons concerned in raising the pole at Northumberland ; that Daniel Montgomery told him that he was determined to run Irwin in his own defense, as a number of them might be indicted for erecting liberty poles, and they had no favors to expect from John Brady if he should succeed ; that Bonham said at first that he would give all his interest to, and make all the Methodists in the county vote for, John Brady, but he had changed around to Irwin, and run a dead ticket for him," &c., &c.
Governor Mifflin, in a note to James Trimble, Deputy Secretary, says that he has "shown the depositions produced by the friends of the Government in favor of Brady, the lowest on the return, to Mr. Ingersoll, (the Attorney General,) and he conceives it proper that Brady should be commissioned. Therefore, let the commission forth- with issue."
A Specimen of Flavel Roan's Poetry, taken from Kennedy's Gazette of May 14, 1794.
MR. KENNEDY,
Please to insert the following advertisement, and oblige yours, ENC., FLAVEL ROAN.
I am an old man, my case is quite common,
I want me a wife, a likely young woman.
I late had an old one, but three years ago, She sickened and died, and left me in woe ;
I whin'd J. B. preached a sermon when she was buried, Wore my old wig a fort'night, then long'd to be married. If any one knows where a wife's to be had,
Such as seventy wishes when reason is dead : A girl that will warm my old bones in the winter, Let them leave the intelligence with Mr. Printer.
293
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
1794.]
Deaths.
Thomas Taggert, at Northumberland. Children: Robert, David, William, James ; Elizabeth, married to William Bonham ; Catherine, to John Painter ; Christina, to James Semple ; Mary, to Benjamin Patterson.
Lambert Vandyke, of White Deer. Children: John, Henry, James, ~ William, Archibald, and Alexander. Lambert's widow afterward married Benjamin Thompson.
George Smith, (of Hartley now.)
John Fisher, of White Deer. Children : Henry, Paul, John, Mi- chael, George, and three daughters. One married Thomas Perry, another Jacob Wertz, and another to Philip Haines. John Fisher was one of the first settlers. Took up the land in his own name, on part of which West Milton now stands. He is buried in the corner of the field above John Datisman, Esquire's, store, where the Valley road strikes the river. He was the grandfather of Paul and Daniel, of Gregg township.
Casper Bower, (East Buffalo.) Children : Henry, Margaret Hol- ler, Susanna Dressler, Catherine Saunders, Maria Flickinger, Barbara Smith, and Maria, unmarried then.
Andrew Fox, (of Hartley now.)
Mathias Barnhart, East Buffalo. Children : William H., Matthias, Lorentz, Magdelena, married to Peter Getz.
Edward Tate, a soldier of the Revolution. His children were, Edward, who moved to Rock Forge, Centre county, around which his descendants reside, and William, who married a daughter of Hugh Beatty, and whose children live in and near Bellefonte.
Kennedy's Gazette says that "Colonel Matthew Smith died at Milton, aged fifty-four. He was captain of the rifle company that went through the wilderness with Arnold to Quebec. A company of light infantry, under Major Piatt and Captain James Boyd, marched about six miles to Warrior Run burying-ground. Many tears were shed over the old patriot's grave, and, after his remains were depos- ited, three volleys were fired over his grave."
He was prothonotary in 1780. His son, Wilson Smith, was sheriff of Erie county in 1804, and Senator from that district in 1812. Quartermaster General under Governor Snyder, in 1814. His grand- son, Matthew Smith, still resides in Waterford, in that county.
1795.
HENRY SPYKER'S HOUSE-POLITICS-JAY'S TREATY-GEORGE KESTER AND ANNA M. SMITH'S BEQUESTS FOR SCHOOLS-DEATH OF WILLIAM IRVINE, AND NOTICE OF HIS FAMILY.
M EMBERS of Congress, Samuel Maclay, and Andrew Gregg. Senator, Samuel Dale, elected vice William Hep- burn, who resigned on the 20th of April. Members of the House, Flavel Roan, Hugh White, and Robert Mar- tin. County Commissioners, Richard Sherer, C. Dering, and Henry Vanderslice. John Brady, Sheriff.
In East Buffalo, the additional Taxables are-Joseph Phares, John Hubler, Jacob Lutz, Job Thomas, Doctor Rosewell Doty.
1 John Pollock opened a store in Mr. Lewis' house, in Lewisburg.
On 5th August, Henry Spyker commenced building the first brick house ever erected in Lewisburg, (still standing,) on the corner of Front and St. Catherine streets, and owned by James S. Marsh. John Meffert, of Tulpehocken, was the contractor. Most of the brick were brought from some point down the river, and a few made on Thomas Wilson's place, now a part of George Wolfe's, near the fair ground. Abraham Troxell did the hauling.
In White Deer : Archibald Hawthorne appears as a taxable.
In West Buffalo : John Wintelbleck, John Wilt, Joseph Wilt, Adam Armor, and John Collins.
In Penn's : George Benfer, Michael Beaver, Peter Hackenberg, Samuel McClintock, Philip Yocum, (Big) John Kerstetter.
294
295
ANNALS OF BUFFALO VALLEY.
1795.]
Saturday and Sunday, 24th and 25th of January, fell the deepest snow had for many winters-two feet on the level. From April 10th to the 19th, the weather was excessively warm, like in the middle of summer.
Thursday, 19th February, was observed as a day of thanksgiving and prayer, upon a proclamation of President Washington. "Good George, take care you do not fall," writes Republican Henry Spyker, in his diary.
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.