USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 30
USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 30
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supporters of Hance Hamilton, and those of his opponent, Richard McAllister, the founder of Hanover, as a result of which the sheriff refused to go on with the election. The coroner, Ryland, opened another box, with other officers and took votes until evening. At the general county election in those days, all persons who voted, were required to go to York. There was but one poll in the county. At the election, the sheriff is represented, in his own statement, as hav- ing declined to assist in counting the tickets, and to make a return, giving as the reasons that he was "drove by violence from the place of election, and by the same vio- lence was prevented from returning there, whereby it was not in his power to do his duty, and therefore could not make no re- turn." On a public hearing by the Provin- cial Governor and Council at Philadelphia, it was unanimously agreed "that it was not owing to Hamilton that the election was obstructed, and likewise that he could not, in his circumstances, as proved by the wit- nesses, make a return." The governor, therefore, granted Hamilton a commission as sheriff during his pleasure. The court of York, in view of the absence of a return, directed that the commissioners and asses- sors for the previous year, serve for another year until there shall be a new election. As a result of this riot, and consequent want of a return, York County was without rep- resentation in Ithe General Assembly for that year. In 1751, Hance Hamilton was again re-elected sheriff, with Alexander Love as coroner. After the expiration of his term of office as sheriff, Hamilton be- came one of the judges of the court of com- mon pleas of York County. In April, 1756, as captain, he commanded a company of Provincial troops from York County, that took part in the French and Indian war. He was at Fort Littleton (now in Fulton
county), where he wrote a letter describing the capture by the Indians of McCord's Fort. He was at Fort Littleton in the fall of 1757. He was also in Armstrong's ex- pedition against Kittaning, where a bloody and important victory over the Indians was won by the "Scotch-Irish of the bor- der."
On the 3Ist of May, 1758, he was com- missioned by William Denny, Lieutenant- Governor, as "Lieutenant Colonel of the First Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regi- ment of foot soldiers in pay of the Prov- ince." Col. Hamilton carefully kept all his business documents, and many of them, in- cluding the executors' accounts, were in possession of Hon. Edward McPherson of Gettysburg. Among them is his will, dated January 27, 1772, only four days be- tore his death. It was probated March II, 1772, a receipt of James McClure was given Ios 6d "for expenses laid out in attending at York to prove the will," also a receipt of Sarah Black for £3 2s 6d for two gallons of liquor and three gallons of rum, "expended at the funeral" of Hance Hamilton. At the "wakes in those days, it was a common cus- tom to use liquors. His personal property was sold March 19-20, 1772. Among the articles advertised were "six negroes, two of which are men well acquainted with farming business, one very likely wench, two fine promising boys and one child." There were quite a number of slaves in his township at the date of his death. What they brought is not known. On the 26th of September, 1760, "William Buchanan, of Baltimore town," signed a receipt to Hance Hamilton of £200 for one negro man; £70 for one negro boy. Hamilton's real estate was sold April 1, 1773, to David McCon- aughy, Esq., Dr. William Cathcart and John Hamilton as "trustees for his heirs." The entire estate was about £3,000 in Penn- sylvania currency, nearly equally divided
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between personal and real property. This was a large amount for these colonial days. Nothing is definitely known of his children, except that one of them "was apprenticed" in September, 1767, to Dr. Robert Boyd, of Lancaster, to study physic and surgery, to stay two years, for a fee of f7o for instruc- tion." He graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1768. The children men- tioned in his will are Thomas, Edward, Har- riet Sarah, married to Alexander McKean; Mary, married to Hugh Mckean; Hance Gawin, George, John, William and James. None of his descendants are now living in either York or Adams county. In his will among many other bequests, he left to his son, Thomas, a pair of silver-mounted pis- tols, valued at fio, to his son, Hance, a pair of brass-barreled pistols and holster, valued at £5; one silver medal, valued at 5s; to his son Gawin, a silver snuff box, val- ued at £2 IOS; George also received a pair of silver buckles appraised at 12s, and John, a silver watch appraised at £5 IOS. It would be exceedingly interesting to trace the his- tory of these trophies, but of them nothing more can be authoritatively said, neither is it known where one of them now is. Hance Hamilton was a man of enterprise, great force of character and activity in public af- fairs. Had he lived during the Revolu- tionary period, he would doubtless have be- come a very conspicuous officer of that eventful war. He was a typical frontiers- man, and located as nearly as can be deter- inined at first in Sir William Keith's tract, called Newberry, and in 1746 became one of the most influential members of the Scotch-Irish settlement on Marsh Creek, near the site of Gettysburg. He was first chosen sheriff of York County, when but twenty-eight years of age, and died sud- denly, when but fifty-one. Those twenty- three years were devoted to the care of his family, to the affairs of the community, and
to the common dangers of the period. He died as the Revolutionary movement was gathering force. Had he lived he would, no doubt, have embraced the cause witlı ardor, and spent his strength, and if need be, his life, for the freedom of his country. Among the roll of "the forty-nine officers of Scotland in 1649, was Sir Hance Hamilton, who obtained adjudicated lands in the Province to the amount of 1,000 acres. From him Col. Hance Hamilton of York County doubtless descended."
C OL. ROBERT McPHERSON. Col. Robert McPherson was the only son of Robert and Janet McPherson, who set- tled in the western portion of York county, in the fall of 1738 on the "Manor of Maske." He was born presumably in Ireland, about 1730, and was a youtlı of eight years on his parents becoming part of the well-known Marsh Creek settlement. He was educa- ted at Rev. Dr. Alison's school at New London, Chester Co., Penn., which acad- emy was afterward removed to Newark, Delaware, and became the foundation of the present college at that place. His father died December 25, 1749, and his mother September 23, 1767. In 1751 he married Agnes, the daughter of Robert Miller of the Cumberland Valley. In 1755 he was ap- pointed treasurer of York County, and in 1756 a commissioner of the county. The latter office he resigned on accepting a commission as captain in the Third Battal- ion of the Provincial forces, May 10, 1758, serving under General Forbes on his expe- dition against Fort Duquesne. From 1762 to 1765 he was sheriff of the county, and from 1764 to the beginning of the Revolu- tion was a justice of the peace under the Proprietary, serving from 1770 as President Justice of the York County Court, and was re-commissioned a justice under the first
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constitution of the State. From 1765 to 1767 he was a member of the Provincial Assembly, and in 1768 was appointed county treasurer to fill a vacancy. He was a member of the Provincial Conference, which met at Carpenter's Hall, Philadel- phia, June 18, 1778; and was one of the Representatives of York County in 1776, which formed the first constitution of the State of Pennsylvania. At the outset of the war for Independence, he was commis- sioned a colonel of the York County Bat- talion of Associators, and during this and the following year he was in active duty in the Jerseys and in the subsequent campaign around Philadelphia. After his return from the field he was employed as the purchasing commissary of army supplies for the west- ern end of York County. In 1779 he was one of the three "auditors of confiscation and fine accounts." From 1781 to 1785 he served as a member of the assembly of the State. Col. McPherson was one of the charter members of the corporation of Dickinson College, and continued to act as trustee until his death. He was an elder in the Upper Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, which was organized in 1740, or within two years of the beginning of the settlement. His death, from paralysis, oc- curred February 19, 1789, his wife surviv- ing him until September 13, 1802. He had a large family. Two of his sons, William and Robert, were officers in the service of the Revolution. Some of his descendants remain in Adams County, but the great majority are scattered over the various States of the Union. For over thirty years he was one of the most active, influential and conspicuous citizens of York County.
W TILLIAM McPHERSON. William McPherson, son of Col. Robert was born December 2, 1757, on the farm settled by his grandfather in 1738. He died
in Gettysburg, August 2, 1832. He filled sundry public trusts of a local character, and was, from 1790 to 1799, a member of the general assembly of the State for York County, except in 1793. He actively pressed and participated in the movement for the erection of Adams County, which was accomplished the last year of his pub- lic service. During the Revolutionary war, he served as a lieutenant in Capt. Albright's company, Col. Miller's regiment, and was captured in the battle of Long Island. The British held him a prisoner of war for over a year, during which time he endured many hardships. After the war he became a pros- perons and influential citizen in his vicinity. He was twice married, first in 1780 to Mary Garrick, of Frederick County, Maryland, and second in 1793, to Sarah Reynolds of Shippensburg. He was the father of four- teen children, a few of whom are married. One of his sons, John B. McPherson, was a prominent citizen of Adams County, and for forty-five years was cashier of the Bank of Gettysburg. Hon. Edward McPherson, of Gettysburg, for a number of years rep- resentative in Congress, for nearly a quar- ter of a century clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and the distinguished American Statistician, is a son of John B. McPherson, and great grandchild of Col. Robert McPherson of Revolutionary fame. His sons are of the sixth generation of McPhersons, who have lived in the same vicinity since the arrival of their worthy ancestors.
A RCHIBALD McCLEAN. Archi- bald McClean was of Scottish ori- gin. In the year 1715, a portion of the clan M'Clean, or McClean, who were sup- porters of the Stuarts, sought a home near Glenairm, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, and with others soon after emigrated to southern Pennsylvania. Among them was
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Archibald McClean, who in 1738 located in the Marsh Creek district of York county, near what is now Gettysburg. He soon became a prominent surveyor in the Prov- ince of Pennsylvania, assisted in establish- ing the "Middle Point" between Cape Hen- lopen and the Chesapeake, and in locating the great "Tangent Line" through the Pe- ninsula, and in tracing the well known "arc of the circle" around New Castle, Delaware. This was during the years 1760, 1762 and 1763. As a surveyor he was the chief as- sociate of the celebrated mathematicians, Mason and Dixon. In running the fam- ous line which bears their name, six of his brothers were also employed in assisting to establish the line from 1763 to June 4, 1766, when the party arrived as far west as the summit of "Little Allegheny," and were there stopped by troublesome Indians. On June 8, 1767, Mason and Dixon and Arch- ibald M'Clean began to continue the sur- vey from the top of the "Little Allegheny, accompanied by a delegation of friendly In- dians as an escort, against the savages. On the 14th of June they reached the top of the "Great Allegheny," where fourteen more friendly Indians joined them as inter- preters. At this time there were thirty as- sistant surveyors, fifteen ax-men, and a number of Indians. They continued west- ward 240 miles from Delaware to "Dunker Creek," as marked on their map. This was thirty-six miles east of the western limit of the present Mason and Dixon line. The balance was run in 1782 and 1784. Archi- bald M'Clean in 1776 was chosen a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. He was an ardent patriot, and the next year became chairman of the Committee of Safe- ty for York County, during the Revolution. He served as prothonotary and register and recorder of York County from 1777 to 1786. At his death his remains were inter- red in the historic old Marsh Creek bury-
ing ground, on a part of what is now the famous battle-field of Gettysburg.
G EN. HENRY MILLER. Gen.
Henry Miller was born near the city of Lancaster, Penn., on February 13, 1751, Early attention was paid to his education, but his father, who was a farmer, thought it necessary to place his son within the walls of a university. The high school of Miller, as of Washington and Franklin, was the world of active life.
Young Miller, having received a good English education, was placed in the office of Collison Reed, Esq., of Reading, Penn., where he read law and studied conveyan- cing. Before, however, he completed his studies, he removed to Yorktown, in about the year 1760. At this place he pursued his studies under the direction of Samuel Johnson, Esq. At that time Mr. Johnson was prothonotary of York county and in his office Mr. Miller acted as clerk.
The subject of our memoir was married on June 20, 1770, about which time he pur- chased a house in Yorktown, and furnished it. Here he supported his family mostly by the profits arising from conveyancing, and from his clerkship; for as he found that he did not possess talents for public speak- ing, he devoted his industry and attention to those subjects.
The war of the Revolution was now ap- proaching, and young Miller's noble soul was kindled to a generous indignation as he heard and read of the wrongs of his coun- try. A man like him could not doubt a moment. On June 1, 1775, he commenced his march from York to Cambridge, Mass. He went out as first lieutenant of a rifle company, under the command of Capt. Michael Doudel. This company was the first that marched out of Pennsylvania, and was, too, the first that arrived in Massa- chusetts from any place south of Long Is-
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land, or west of the Hudson. The company to which he belonged was attached to Col. Thompson's rifle regiment, which received the first commissions issued by congress, and took rank of every other regiment.
On the arrival of the company at Cam- bridge, the gallantry and zeal of Miller prompted him to attempt some military act before the remainder of the regiment could arrive. His active mind immediately formed a plan to surprise the British guard at Bun- ker Hill. This was the second day after his arrival, fresh from a march of 500 miles, a march which would have deprived ordi- nary men of their fire of feeling, but which left Miller in the glowing enthusiasm of a young soldier, impatient of delay. Miller submitted the plan to his captain, whose courage was more tempered with prudence and who wished to decline engaging in sich an attack, alleging, as reasons against it, the small number of his own men and his want of acquaintance with the ground and works. But Miller, who was never checked in his military career by the appearance of danger, informed his captain that if he should decline engaging personally in the attack, he would solicit Gen. Washington to appoint him (Miller) to the command. Thus urged, the captain allowed his laud- able prudence to be overcome by the ardor of his gallant young lieutenant, and his own desire to effect the capture of the guard. The attempt was made-but, as the captain had predicted, without accomplishing the object. They were obliged to retreat- though not till after several British soldiers had bit the dust, and several others were prisoners in the hands of the gallant York- ers. Captain Dondel's health being very much impaired, he was obliged to resign not long afterward when Miller was ap- pointed to the command of the company. From that time onward he was distin-
guished as a most enterprising, intelligent and valuable officer.
In 1776, his company with the regiment to which he belonged, commanded at first by Col. Thompson, and afterward by Col. Hand, marched to New York. In 1777, on the 12th of November, he was promoted by congress to the office of major in the same regiment. In the year following (1778) he was appointed lieutenant-colonel, comman- dant in the Second Regiment of Pennsyl- vania. In this latter office he continued until he left the army.
Miller was engaged, and took an active and gallant part, in the several battles of Long Island, York Island, White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Head of Elk, Brandy- wine, Germantown, Monmouth, and in a considerable number of other but less im- portant conflicts. At the battle of Mon- mouth, he displayed most signal bravery. Two horses were, during that conflict, suc- cessively shot from beneath this youthful hero and patriot; but nothing depressed the vigor of his soul, for mounting a third he was in the thick of the battle.
A companion in arms, writing of Miller, in the year 1801, says, "He was engaged in most of the battles of note in the middle States. It would take much time to enum- erate the many engagements he was in, as the general engagements, were such, as are incident to light corps. It may, with con- fidence, be stated, that he must have risked his person in fifty or sixty conflicts with the British foe. He served with the highest reputation as an heroic, intelligent and use- ful officer." In a letter of Washington to Congress dated "Trenton Falls, December 12, 1776," are these words: "Capt. Miller, of Col. Hand's regiment, also informs me, that a body of the enemy were marching to Burlington yesterday morning. He had been sent over with a strong scouting party, and, at daybreak, fell in with their advance
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guards consisting of about four hundred Hessian troops, who fired upon him before they were discovered, but without any loss, and obliged him to retreat with his party and to take boat." Gen. Wilkinson, in his memoirs, states that Major Miller of Hand's riflemen, was ordered by Gen. Washington to check the rapid movements of the enemy in pursuit of the American Army, while retreating across the State of New Jersey. The order was so successfully executed, and the advance of a powerful enemy so embarrassed, that the American troops which afterward gained the indepen- dence of their country, were preserved from an overthrow which would have proved the grave of our liberties. In a note to the memoirs, the author says, among other things, "Gen. Miller, late of Baltimore, was distinguished for his cool bravery wherever he served. He certainly possessed the en- tire confidence of Gen. Washington." To multiply quotations would be useless, suf- fice to say that Miller is mentioned by many of the American historians, and always with much applause.
When Miller first engaged in the war of the Revolution, he had little or no other fortune than his dwelling house. But be- fore the close of the war he was reduced to such necessities to support his family that he was compelled to sell the house over the heads of his wife and children. He sometimes spoke of this as a very hard case, and in terms so pathetic as to excite the most tender emotions. At other times he would say, "I have not yet done all in my power to serve my beloved country, my wife and my children I trust will yet see better days."
In his pleasant manner he was heard to say that, as to the house, the sale had at least saved him the payment of the taxes. Col. Miller, being thus, through his patriot- ism, humiliatingly reduced in pecuniary cir-
cumstances, was obliged in the spring of 1779 to resign his commission in the army and return to York. Here he continued to reside for some years, enjoying the love and affection of all his fellow citizens. In October, 1780, he was elected high sheriff of the county of York, and as such he con- tinued until the expiration of his term of office in November, 1783. At the sev- eral elections in October of the years 1783- 84-85, he was elected a member of the Leg- islature of Pennsylvania. In May, 1786, he was commissioned as prothonotary of York County, and in August of the same year he was appointed a justice of the peace, and of the court of Common Pleas. In the year 1790 he was a member of the convention which framed the present constitution of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He continued in the office of prothonotary un- til July, 1794. In this year (1794), great dangers were apprehended from the en- croachments of the English on our western territories. Wayne was, at that time, car- rying our arms against the Indians into the western wilderness. Agreeably to the requisition of the President of the United States, contained in a letter to the Secretary of War, dated May 19, 1794, Pennsylvania was required to furnish her quota of bri- gades toward forming a detachment of 10,- 769 militia, officers included. At this time Miller was general in the first brigade, com- posed of the counties of York and Lancas- ter, and belonging to the second division of Pennsylvania Militia commanded by Maj. Gen. Hand. This division, with several others, was required to be in readiness to march at a moment's warning.
In the same year was the "western expe- dition," an expedition occasioned by an in- surrection in the four western counties to resist the laws of the union.
At this time Gen. Miller was appointed, and went out as quartermaster-general. In
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the same year he was appointed, by Gen. Washington, supervisor of the revenue for the district of Pennsylvania. In this office he acted with such ability, punctuality and integrity, that no one ever laid the least failure to his charge. But in 1801, Mr. Jef- ferson having been elected President, Gen. Miller was removed from the office of sup- ervisor and was succeeded by Peter Muh- lenburg.
Upon this event he left York Novem- ber 18, 1801, and removed to Baltimore, where he resided for some years as an hon- est and respectable merchant. At the com- mencement of the war of 1812, his soul was kindled to the former fires of youthful feel- ing. Relinquishing his mercantile pursuits he accepted the appointment of brigadier general of the militia of the United States, stationed at Baltimore, and charged with the defense of Fort McHenry and its depen- dencies. Upon the enemy's leaving the Chesapeake bay, the troops were dis- charged and Gen. Miller again retired to private life.
In the spring of 1813, Gen. Miller left Baltimore, and returned to his native State, Pennsylvania. He now resided on a farm at the mouth of the Juniata river, in Cum- berland County, devoting himself, with Roman virtue, to agricultural pursuits. But his country soon called him from his retire- ment. The enemy having again made their appearance from Baltimore, he marched out with the Pennsylvania troops in the capacity of quartermaster-general. He again, after a short time, returned to Pennsylvania, to reside on his farm at the mouth of the Juniata. At that place, like a Cincinnatus, away from the tumult of war, he continued to reside until the spring of 1821. At that time, being appointed pro- thonotary of Perry County, by Gov. Hies- ter, he removed to Landisburg, the seat of justice for that county. He continued to
live at Landisburg, until he was removed from office, by Gov. Shulze, in March, 1824. On the 29th of the same month, the Legis- lature of Pennsylvania began to make, though at a late period, some compensation for his important Revolutionary services. They required the state treasurer to pay him $240 immediately; and an annuity of the same sum during the remainder of his life. But Gen. Miller did not live long enough to enjoy this righteous provision. He removed with his family to Carlisle; but he hardly fixed his abode there, and caught the kind looks of his relatives and friends, when he was called by the messenger of peace to a distant and far brighter region where the music of war is unheard, and the storms of contention are at rest. He was seized with inflammation of the bowels and died suddenly, in the bosom of his family, on Monday, the 5th of April, 1824. On Tuesday afternoon, the mortal part of the hero and the patriot was consigned, with military honors, to the small and narrow house.
In private life Gen. Miller was friendly, social and benevolent. He was generous even to a fault.
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