USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Annual of the Bradford County Historical Society, 1906 > Part 21
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Hon. Thomas Burnside.
In person, the judge was of medium height, prominent nose and and eyes, dark complexion and rather noted for want of comeliness of features. His kindness and blunt honesty made ample amends for lack of personal beauty. In the language of a contemporary, "the judicial ermine was as unspotted when he laid it aside for the habili- ments of the grave as when he first put it on." Judge Burnside died at the residence of his son-in-law, E. Mor- ris, in Germantown, Pa., Tuesday evening, March 25, 1857, in the 69th year of his age.
Moravian Mission at Ulster.
Subject Discussed at May Meeting, 1910.
('s OON after the close of Pontiac's War, Echgo- hund, with a few Monsey families, settled at the mouth of Cash Creek in the present vil- lage of Ulster. This being but a day's jour- ney by water from Wyalusing, the inhabitants of one town were frequent visitors at the other. From the first Ech- gohund,the chief,manifested deep interest in the success of the mission, and in the negotiations with Togahaju vol- unteered to intercede with the Six Nations in its behalf. On his return from Cayuga town, Zeisberger tarried here over night, May 4, 1766, and at their request preached to quite a company of them, who gathered at the lodge where he stopped. From this time a constantly-increas- ing interest in the gospel began to manifest itself in the settlement, and the two brothers, Jim and Sam Davis, influential inhabitants of the town, often went to Wyalu- sing to hear the Word of God. Joshua, Sr., a Mohican convert residing at Wyalusing, visited Schechschiquanunk ( the Indian name of their town at Ulster ) the middle of August, and reported that there are many there desirous of hearing the gospel. During the next year eight per- sons, including two families, removed from there to the mission for this purpose.
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Morarian Mission at Ulster.
In May, 1767, Jo Peepe (alias Wehololahund) came with his family, consisting of his wife, Sarah, and their chil- dren, James, Isaac, Sarah, Isaiah and Mettshish, to reside at Sheshequin. A man of more than ordinary intelli- gence and influence, he favored the Moravians and sought to persuade them to establish a mission there. On the 21st of February, 1768, the brethren were formally in- vited to come there and promised to take the matter into consideration. Accordingly, John Ettwein, a member of the Moravian mission board at Bethlehem. was deputed to visit them. In the month of April, accompanied by Zeisberger and Sensemann, who were directed to visit the Allegheny for the purpose of establishing a mission there, he set out for the Susquehanna. On the 10th of May they reached Schechsehiquanunk, and as Echgo- hund was not at home were entertained by Jo Peepe, "whose house is the largest in the town." Here they continued until the 12th holding religious services each day. After the morning discourse on the 12th, "Jo Peepe, Jim Davis, Sam Davis and James held a council together, and when over repeated to us their conclusion to wit: "Our four families desire to have the Word of God preached to us. We go often to Wyalusing to hear it, but cannot always go. We would like to settle there, but we have much cattle and large families. In Wyalu- sing there is not much pasture for cattle, and they would have a more precarious living than here, where there is plenty of good land and meadows. Hence, we desire to have brethren come here and settle and preach the gos- pel to us.' David Zeisberger replied : 'Brother, how is it with the other families, who are not of the same mind ? Will they not continue their dancing and ca-
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Moravian Mission at Ulster.
rousing, and thus disturb you ?' Said they, 'the four or five huts over the run yonder have done lately just such things, but the chief who is of our mind has forbidden them.' In answer, I told them I would present their re- quest to the brethren at Bethlehem, and doubtless they would heed it."
At this time the village consisted of twelve huts-five on the south side of the creek and seven on the north side. Those on the south were wild Indians, whose heathenish practices and hatred of the gospel had hither- to deterred the brethren from undertaking to establish a mission there. Those on the north side acquired some knowledge of the arts and customs of the civilized life, whose chief business was the raising of cattle of which they had large herds, and their meadows and pasture fields extended up to Tioga.
The Shechschiquanunk people were reminded of the necessity to avoid complications of permission from the great council at Onondaga for a missionary to reside there. Therefore, a messenger was dispatched to the Cayuga sachem for this purpose, and his consent readily obtained, the sachem declaring that he, too, would come to Shechschiquanunk to hear the Word of God, as he was firmly convinced in his own mind that it pointed out the only true way to eternal happiness. John Roth, a Prus- sian by birth, who had entered the service of the Mora- vian Indian mission in 1759, was appointed to this mis- sion and arrived at Shechschiquanunk, February 4, 1769, and preached his first discourse the following day. From this time religious services were maintained with great regularity, morning and evening of each day. For the first year the congregation repaired to Freidenshut-
Moravian Mission at Ulster.
ten (Wyalusing) for the sacraments and festivals of the church, Ulster being regarded as only an outlying sta- tion of the Wyalusing mission.
In a letter, under date February 8, 1769, to Nathaniel Seidel, a Moravian bishop, Mr. Roth writes: "I am at present living here in a trader's house, in which a quan- tity of merchandise belonging to Mr. Anderson is stored. This is in charge of an Irish servant. I am to live with him until the Indians have built a house for me. Some of the Indians here were baptized by the Presbyterians."
February 10, 1769, some Indians from Wilawamink came to Ulster to hold the feast of the meat-offering with the heathen Indians in the neighborhood. On the night of the 21st the feast was held about a half mile from the settlement. "There were some fifty of the hea- then together, shouting and screeching like fiends." For eleven days they had turned the village into a pandemo- nium, making the day terrible and the night hideous with their wild songs, their dancing and revels. To such scenes of heathen festivity and superstition and wickedness, was the missionary introduced at the very beginning of his work, and we can not wonder if his soul was fired with new zeal, as was Paul's at Athens, to preach the gospel to those thus sunk in degradation and vice. Nor did he have long to wait for the effect of his preaching, for on the 18th of the following May, James Davis, the first fruits of that mission, was baptized into the faith of the gospel. At the close of the year five had been baptized, four log houses had been built and eigh- teen added to the mission ; so at that time there were fif- ty souls in the town. Among those who came were Isaac Stille, also one of Brainerd's Indians from New Jersey,
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Moravian Mission at Ulster.
who had been employed as government messenger and interpreter, and to whom for his services the proprieta- ries had given him a tract of land at Sheshequin. As at Wyalusing, so here, strange Indians were frequent visi- tors, and from Zeninge, Shamunk, Wilawamink and other places multitudes gathered to hear the gospel.
The missionary's house at Ulster was built February 16, 1769, of square pine logs donated by James Davis, which he had prepared for a dwelling for himself. This served also for a church until July of the next year, when a chapel was erected, surmounted by a cupola containing a bell. ( This building stood near the present site of the Ulster Presbyterian church ). Ettwein served the mis- sion from July 28 until August 22 of this year (1770). In this interval (August 16) Roth was married to Maria Agnes Pfingstag at Bethlehem, and also received ordina- tion to the full work of an evangelist. At the end of this year the mission numbered 58 souls. On May 28, 1771, the Susquehanna rose to an unprecedented height, in- undating both the towns of Sheshequin and Wyalusing. At the latter place great damage was done by the water sweeping off fences, and stock and covering the corn just coming up with mud. At Sheshequin (Ulster) the in- habitants were compelled to take to their canoes and re- tire to the wooded heights back of the town.
The character of the Christian work at Sheshequin, the employments and habits of the people did not differ ma- terially from those at Wyalusing. It was not so large a place nor so exclusively a Moravian town ; but the good work done there was not in vain. The mission continued to increase in numbers and usefulness until the migra- tion, at which time it numbered 60 souls. Aware of the
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Moravian Mission at Ulster.
difficulties clustering about the Susquehanna missions, the Delaware chiefs sent an invitation to the converts at Wyalusing and Sheshequin to remove to the West, where they would be supplied with land. This invita- tion the Wyalusing Indians were not prepared as yet to accept, although during the years 1770 and 1771 several families both from Wyalusing and Sheshequin removed there. After a full and careful deliberation, in which the growing difficulties of their present situation and the promised advantages of the West were freely canvassed, they unanimously resolved to accept the offers of the Del- aware chiefs and emigrate to the West. Measures were at once set on foot to carry into effect the resolution of the Susquehanna converts. Zeisberger repaired to the Tus- carowas Valley, where, gathering the Delaware converts about him, they proceeded to clear ground, build huts and make other needful preparations for the reception of their eastern brethren. At Wyalusing and Sheshequin surplus stock and grain were sold, canoes were built and other arrangements made for their departure.
In the month of May, 1772, their preparations for the journey being in a state of great forwardness, Ettwein, at their request, was sent to Wyalusing to superintend the journey. The emigrants were divided into two compa- nies ; one under Roth were to go by canoe down the North and up the West Branch as far as the Great Island (Lock Haven), where they were to meet the company who were to go overland with the horses and cattle, the heavy articles being transported by water. Early on the morning of June 11, 1772, they met for the last time in their chapel in the town for divine worship. At the close of the service the canoes were laden, the bell was taken
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Moravian Mission at Ulster.
from its turret, the window sashes were removed from the church and the dismantled windows nailed shut with boards. Says Ettwein : "At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, brother and sister Roth set out out in their canoe followed by others, 30 in number. Timothy, who car- ried the bell in his canoe, rang it for some time as the squadron moved down the stream, never to again ring out its calls to the house of prayer o'er the waters of the lovely Susquehanna. 140 souls went with brother and sister Roth ; with me, by the overland route, were 54. There are others also to proceed from Sheshequin, so that the entire migration will number 211 souls. A short time before our departure the measles had been brought to Wyalusing from Sheshequin, which place had been in- fected by a white man. The epidemic soon appeared among the party with Roth, and a maiden of my com- pany was taken with them on the third day out. Our journey consumed five days ; that of the company by wa- ter ten days; when we met at the mouth of Muncy Creek on the 20th of June."
The first trading post in Bradford county was es- tablished at Ulster by John Anderson and the Ogdens. It is related by Heckewelder that John Anderson, who was called by the Indians the "honest Quaker trader," lived in the neighborhood of Fort Allen and had estab- lished a trading-house at Sheshequin (Ulster) as early as May, 1765. For the next four or five years he and the Ogdens from Wyoming made two trips each year, visiting the villages on the Susquehanna, buying peltry of the Indians, or exchanged for rifles, ammunition, trinkets and rum. February 8, 1769, Missionary John Roth, in writing to Nathaniel Seidel, a Moravian bishop
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Moravian Mission at Ulster.
from Sheshequin, says : " I am at present living here in a trader's house, in which a quantity of merchandise be- longing to Mr. Anderson is stored. This is in charge of an Irish servant. I am to live with him until the In- dians have built a house for me." "We hear nothing of Mr. Anderson after the establishment of the mission at Sheshequin, nor the Ogdens after their trading-house at Wyoming was destroyed by the New England people in April, 1770." The journal of John Ettwein, who visited the Monsey town at Sheshequin in May 1768, December 1768, February 1769, December 1770 and in the Spring of 1772 mentions at every visit some Irish people living there ; first a single Irishman and later a family. .
The second birth in the county was also at Sheshequin (Ulster), being a child of Missionary Roth's wife, August 4, 1771. The first white child born in the county was Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Fox at To- wanda, September 1, 1770.
Old Time Training Days.
Paper by Col. John A. Codding, Meeting January 23, 1904.
T HE science and arts of war, of preparation for defending from enemies and punishing in- vaders, are as old as the world. From earliest history we learn that war and preparation for battle occupied the time, talents and physical strength of the greatest men in every age.
Training is learning the art and science of war. Men are called together to learn the tactics, that is the proper manner of using muskets, rifles, cannon, sword, pistols, bayonets, etc. In short to learn the best and shortest way to kill your enemies and not get killed yourself.
The method of conducting trainings in Northern Penn- sylvania was probably brought here from New England. Early in the history of the Commonwealth all male citizens between the age of eighteen and forty five years were re- quired by law to do military duty, and were organized into Companies, Regiments and Brigades and officers elected or appointed and commissioned for the purpose. Our State Constitution, Article XI, Sec. 1, provides that a military organization shall be kept up. Men subject to military duty were called Militia and were obliged to meet for training, drill and instruction the first Monday
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Old Time Training Days.
of May in each year and again in September or October, for drill, review and inspection. The State furnished no arms, such as muskets, swords, pistols and cannon to the Militia.
Later the State Legislature in its wisdom provided that persons who would volunteer and organize into Com- panies, Regiments or Battalions and provide their own uniform, which each Company could select as they chose. The State funds were appropriated to furnish muskets, bayonets, cartridges and boxes for infantry ; cannon and all the outfit for Artillery ; swords, pistols and holsters for Cavalry and that the volunteers should train or drill twice in each year for Company training, once for General Traing which was called by the Brigade Inspector for review and inspection. Prior to sometime in the '40's a Brigade consisted of five counties as Bradford, Tioga, Pot- ter, Mckean and Lycoming, and the Brigade Inspector's salary was $2,000 per year. Sometime over fifty years ago the law made every county a Brigade and the salary of the Brigade Inspector was $300 per year. And so it remained until the Civil War in 1861 when all was changed. Since the Civil War all the Militia of the State are called the National Guard.
The first settlers of this county were mostly from New England and among the customs practiced by them was that of waking up officers on the morning of Training Day which was done in the following manner : A party of soldiers composed of privates and non-commissioned officers, armed with muskets and cavalry pistols would go in the early morning of Training Day to dwelling house of the Captain, Lieutenant, or Field Officer at the very earliest dawn of daylight, discharge their heavily loaded
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Old Time Training Days.
guns directly under the officer's window to wake him up for the day's business. Of course the officer would be wakened and feel honored by this strenuous demonstra- tion which was accepted for what it was worth. The officer answered the noisy honor by a bottle of grog. Fre- quent accidents occurred from waking up officers, by guns bursting by being too heavily loaded. Mr. Camp, a son of Irad Camp, of Camptown, was killed by being ac- cidentally shot by his comrade, turning in the wrong di- rection amid the rapid firing. My own father lost one arm by the bursting of a musket heavily loaded in his hands waking up officers. Roswell Woodward tells a story of his native town, Taunton, Mass. : "That Polly Pool, an Indian woman sold the town of Taunton, Mass., for a peck of beans. But she reserved a beautiful square of land in the centre for sol diers for Training Days and it was a part of the contract and sale that Taunton Green should be reserved where soldiers should parade and drill as long as grass grew green and water ran down hill. And that it is a historical fact that it has been so kept for more than two hundred years."
In all of Northern Pennsylvania the first Monday of May was Training Day, and on that joyful morning ev- erybody was wide awake to see the sights and enjoy the fun. It was the grand gala-day for soldiers and citizens, old and young, lad and lassies, saint and sinners, all en- joyed Training Day as a bright spot in the journey of life. Everybody knew that the first Monday of May was Training Day and everybody was moving towards the place where the sodiers held their training. It is impos- sible to place before you anything approaching an accu- rate word picture of the stirring events of an old Training
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Old Time Training Days.
Day. The morning was ushered in by the loud booming of double-loaded guns waking up officers. Then as the sun of a bright May morning rose in all its splendor, the whole country was alive. From hill top to hill top, from every valley where was a log house or saw-mill or even a shingle cabin, came men and boys on foot, in lumber wagons, ox carts, ou horse-back and in buggies. All with faces turned toward the place for the training. Arrived at the place of rendezvous the officers proceeded to es- tablish their headquarters, generally in a hotel.
Soldiers gather around and near the headquarters. All others selected the most favorable places to see the page- antry and the parade of the Companies and officers in bright and most dazzling uniforms. Hark ! The martial music of the drum and fife of the Infantry and the bugle of the Cavalry, causees every one to look toward head- quarters. The Orderly Sergeant of Infantry with his subalterns, Sergeants and Corporals, are calling with a
loud voice :- " Attention ! Pike Infantry fall in! fall in !" and while they march, keep calling, " Fall in, members of the Company, fall in," as the marching goes on. In a very short time the Orderly has one hundred men more or less, all in line, he marches them to the fields selected for the parade ground. The Sergeant then selects an escort to bring the commissioned officers to take charge of and command his company. As the es- cort with music and colors arrive at the front of the head- quarters, the Captain and Lieutenants present themselves. The music is cheered, the colors are waved to cheer and all march placing the Captain at the head of his com- pany and the Lieutenants in their respective places.
The Captain in taking command may at first make a
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Old Time Training Days.
pleasant speech, but generally his first word in a very loud voice is, " Attention, company ! shoulder arms order arms, carry arms, shoulder arms, right face, music, mark time, forward march," and away they go to the tune of Yankee Doodle. Thus they march, counter- march, march in single file, break off into double file and into files of four and repeat the same over again and again for two or three hours. Then the gallant Captain asks the Lieutenant to drill and instruct the company until recess, at noon.
Before the ranks are broken the First Sergeant that is the Orderiy Sergeant calls the roll. If the soldier does not answer by the third time the Orderly calls his name he is marked as absent and fined one dollar. As the Orderly calls " John Brown, John Brown, John Brown," he is marked absent if he does not answer. All of his duty was done by the Volunteers with decorum and proper dignity. It is said that the old Militia had fun at times when on duty. For example the Orderly calls, 'Shayler Coleman," Soldier answers, " What Shayler Coleman ?" What I tell you, Shayler Coleman ?" " What I tell you ? I am here dad, and I came in a cart, didn't you see us ?" On the first Monday of May when three or four companies trained at the same place on the same day the routine was the same. The uniformed, volunteers and cavalry, artillery, uniformed Militia, the movements and orders were or ought to be similar.
I will mention one more Company, the Cavalry. They were very finely uniformed and drilled. Cavalry com- panies were doing business in Bradford county in the years of 40's, one at Towanda, one at LeRaysville and one at Trov. The same motions were made mounted on horse-
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Old Time Training Days.
back, as sending escort with music (trumpet) and flag and cheers to bring the Captain and Lieutenants, before the Company. The Captain on taking command makes his pleasant speech, full of patriotism to his soldiers. Then attention, Company ! Handle sword, draw sword, pre- pare to guard, etc., music, forward-thus they ride in single or double file or by fours or otherwise. They march by trot, gallop, or walk. The Cavalry would ex- ercise by riding at full gallop across the field, starting from a given point and after marching several times re- turn to the same point. The sagacity and intelligence of the common road or farm horse under our own observa- tion was wonderful. Thus when the company of one hundred horses had been drilled and exercised for hours in galloping around a field and halted at a given point the rider might drop the bridle rein and allow his horse to guide himself, he would make all the turns and keep in line and come to a halt without the rider lifting the rein. The excellent and fine management of the Cavalry company often brought applause from the spectators.
The ununiformed militia went through with the man- ual of arms without guns; they used a cane or a stick in place of a gun. One writer had it, they come with the corn stalk and mullen and hoe. A little girl said of training day :
Yesterday was Training Day- And father was commander- Our Bill was Corporal, And Johnny was the drummer.
There they had a great big gun, As big as a log of maple ; With two great wheels to carry it on, A load for father's cattle.
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Old Time Training Days.
And when they come to load that gun, We all looked on with wonder ; And when they fired the monster off, It sounded loud as thunder.
We have in the foregoing only described company Training Days. Old Training Days also included Gen- eral or Battalion trainings which were ordered by the Brigade Inspector generally in September or October. Once in each year all the companies of the Brigade, vol- unteers and ununiformed militia, all met for parade and review inspection at General Training Days. The call- ing of the companies together, the escort, and cheers to bring out the company officers were all done as hereto- fore explained. For the general training a large field was secured. Its lines staked out and made plain, and guards with muskets and fixed bayonets were detailed to halt any person, except a soldier who should attempt to pass without the pass-word and countersign ; and if the tres- passer did not immediately halt he would feel the cold steel of the guard's bayonet through his trouser's leg, and if he then persisted in trying to pass the guard he would be placed under guard and fined. Near one end of the parade ground a flag-staff was set up called the camp color, which was sixty yards from the colonel's position and the field, or front line of the regiment. If a general or governor, or president happened to be present, the in- spector very politely invites such dignitaries to be pres- ent at the review.
When the colonel and his staff have placed the regiment in order for review and inspection, the escort with drum and fife, plays and cheers, escorting the reviewing officers to the field. The Brigade Inspector being the officer con-
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Old Time Training Days.
ducting the exercises. The inspector and his party make their appearance, with fine uniforms, rich chapeau, high French cock plume, white with immense red top, great epaulettes, beautiful horse, highly comparisoned, all ride in the most dignified military style and take their stand at the camp color. As soon as the field officers see the coming of the Brigade Inspector and his dignitaries at the camp color, the colonel gives marching orders to his command, where he has been instructing them and teaching them how to form an echelon and column of at- tack, now marches his regiment to one side of the field, then to a point where he turns square and marches in a straight line past the camp color in front of the Inspectors and other reviewing officers. The officers of the regiment salute in passing; as the colonel and his command have all passed the camp color the entire regiment returns to the place where they started from. Then the Inspector raises his cocked hat and starts on a gallop entirely around the whole regimeut at a dignified gallop and halts where the colonel is posted. He invites the colonel to dismount and accompany him through the inspection. The inspector is supposed to take every sword and every gun in his hand, all stand at present arms. The officer ascertains by the ringing of the ramrod in the gun if it is clean or otherwise, and to give commendation or censure, according to the merit of the case. He handles the guns very rapidly and hands them back to the soldier without ceremony of present arms. The inspector occupies from one to two hours of very lively work, then the inspection is done.
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