USA > Pennsylvania > Franklin County > Chambersburg > Historical sketch of Franklin County, Pennsylvania : prepared for the centennial celebration held at Chambersburg, Penn'a, July 4th, 1876, and subsequently enlarged by I. H. M'Cauley John M. Pomeroy, publisher. To which is added a valuable appendix by J. L. Suesserott, D. M. Kennedy and others, and embellished by over one hundred lithographic illustrations, drawn by W. W. Denslow > Part 16
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SHIMPSTOWN is a small village situated in Montgomery township, three miles south of Mercersburg, on the road to Clay Lick. Popu- 'lation about fifty persons.
SMOKETOWN is a small village situated in Greene township, one
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
and a half miles south-east of Scotland. It contains a population of about seventy-five persons.
SNOW HILL, or SCHNEEBERG, is situated on Antietam creek, in Quincy township, one mile south of Quincy. Since the decline of Ephrata, in Lancaster county, it is the principal institution of the German Seventh-day Baptists of the United States. The society have a farm of about one hundred and thirty aeres, with a grist mill upon it. They have also a large brick building, for the brothers and sisters, two stories high and one hundred and twenty feet long. They have also a church in which worship is held weekly, every Saturday. Their annual religious meetings are held here. Their whole property is worth about twenty-five thousand dollars. There are only about eight male, and seven female members remaining upon the premises-all old people-and as there are no accessions to their numbers, the society must soon become extinct.
SPRING RUN (P. O.) is situated in Fannett township, on the main road through Path Valley, six miles north of Fannettsburg. There are two churches, one Presbyterian and one United Brethren, two stores, one tannery, and several shops, and a population of about fifty persons.
SPRINGTOWN is a small village, chiefly of farm houses, situated in Metal township, one mile north of Fangettsburg. A small fort or block-house stood here during the troublous times of 1750-1764, to which the settlers in the neighborhood frequently fled for refuge during the incursions of the hostile Indians. Population about twenty persons.
STOUFFERSTOWN is situated in Guilford township, one and one- fourth miles east of Chambersburg, on the Chambersburg and Get- tysburg turnpike. The oldest house in the place was built by Pat- rick Vance, about 1773. Daniel Stouffer built the " Falling Spring Mill," or "Stoaffer's Mill," about 1792, and the village has grown up around it during the last twenty-five or thirty years. The popu- lation is now about two hundred.
STRASBURG (P. O., UPPER STRASBURG) is situated in Letterkenny township, on the old State road leading from Shippensburg to Fan- nettsburg, near the base of the Kittochtinny mountains. It was laid out by Dewalt Keefer, in the fall of 1789, and was called after the city of Strasburg, in Germany. After the completion of the Three Mountain road it became quite a business place, and so long as transportation was done by the old-fashioned "Conestoga wagon," and horses and cattle were brought from the west to the east in droves, Strasburg, because of the absence of all tolls on the road, and because an abundant supply of feed was to be had at low rates, was able to hold its own, but all improvement was at an end. It. has three churches-one used by the Lutheran and Reformed con- gregations, one Methodist and one United Brethren, in which the
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Presbyterians worship at stated times. It has also one hotel, one steam tannery, one saw mill, two stores, two blacksmith, two shoe- maker, two cabinet-maker, one tailor and one saddler shops, and two hundred and ninety-three inhabitants.
TOMSTOWN is situated in Quincy township, at the base of the South mountain, one mile south-east of Quincy. It was started by a man named John Toms, sixty years ago or more. It contains one store, and twenty-five or thirty houses. Population about two hundred.
UPTON (P. O.) is situated in Peters township, on the Greencastle and Mercersburg turnpike, four miles west of the former place. The first improvement was made by Alexander White, where the hotel is now kept, in the year 1812. The town was commenced by George Cook, in the year 1840, but the greater portion of it has been built sinee 1860. The post office was established in 1836, and the name "Jacksonville" was selected for it, but disapproved by the Post Office Department, as there was already an office of the same name. At the suggestion of Miss Elizabeth Watson, of Greencastle, the name of "Upton " was taken for the office, which has also attached to the village. There are one store and hotel, and several shops in the place. Population about one hundred and eighty.
WATERLOO is a small village sitnated in Washington township, near the turnpike leading from Waynesboro to Emmittsburg, Ma- ryland. It is a short distance sonth of Pikesville, or Rouzersville, of which it may be considered as forming a part.
WAYNESBORO (P. O.) is situated in Washington township, on the line of the turnpike road from M'Connellsburg to Baltimore. It is one of the most beautiful and flourishing towns in our county. The land upon which the town stands was taken up by John Wallace, Sr., in 1749. A settlement gradually grew up, in after years, at the point where the town now stands, and was called " Wallacetown." In the year 1797, John Wallace, Jr., formally laid out the present town, and called it " Waynesburg," in honor of General Anthony Wayne -- " Mad Anthony "-of the revolutionary army. The price of lots on " Main street " was fixed at five pounds specie, and on the cross streets at six pounds, with an annual quit rent of one dollar on each of them. The land around Waynesboro is among the most fertile and valuable in our valley. On the 21st December, 1818, the town was incorporated into a borough, by the name of " Waynes- boro." There are two hotels, two drug stores, four dry goods stores, four hardware stores, and eight churches in the town, viz. : the Trinity Reformed, St. Paul's Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist Epis- copal, Presbyterian, German Baptist or Dunker, Reformed Mennon- ite and Catholic. There are also a town hall, a Grangers' hall and an Odd Fellows' hall, and three large manufacturing establishments in the place, viz. : "The Geiser Manufacturing Company," makers of grain threshers, reapers, mowers, &e. ; "Frick & Co.," steam en- 20
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gine and boiler works, and " George F. Lidy & Co.," humber manu- facturers. John Bell has also for years carried on a large pottery at this point. The population of the town is about fifteen hundred.
WELSH RUN (P. O.) is situated in Montgomery township, on the road leading from Mercersburg to Hagerstown, Maryland, six miles from the former place. David Davis, an emigrant from Wales, purchased a large tract of land along the stream near by, between the years 1736 and 1740, and being joined by a number of others from his native land, the settlement received the name of " Welsh Run." The village now contains one store, one tannery, one black- smith shop, one wagon-maker shop, one physician's office and one hundred and fifty inhabitants. " Kennedy Academy," ( Rev. J. H. Fleming, principal), is situated here, as is also the " Robert Ken- nedy Memorial Presbyterian Church."
WILLIAMSON (P. O.) is situated in St. Thomas township, on the line of the Southern Pemisylvania railroad, five miles south-west of Marion. It was commenced about the year 1870, by Samuel %. Hawbaker, who then owned the land around, and who built the principal buildings in the place. There is a store, a grist and saw mill, and about fifty inhabitants in the place.
WILLOW GROVE is situated in Guilford township, on the Spring road, about three miles south-east of Chambersburg. It was started by John Stouffer, about the year 1850, and contains one grist mill, one straw paper mill, and about one hundred and fifty inhabitants.
LIEUTENANTS AND SUB-LIEUTENANTS OF MILITIA.
In the olden time, as appears by the Colonial Records and Penn- sylvania Archives, there existed an officer called the " County Lieu- tenant," who figured prominently in all the military affairs of the State. He was appointed by the Supreme Executive Council, and held his office at the pleasure of that body. The office was some- what like that of a Brigade Inspector, but the powers of the incum- bent were greatly larger than those of this latter named officer, and his duties much more diversified. By the act of 17th March, 1777, (now obsolete), it was provided that " the President in Council, or in his absence the Vice President, should appoint and commission one reputable freeholder in the city of Philadelphia, and one in each county, to serve as lieutenants of the militia ; and also any number of persons, not exceeding two for said city, and in the several coun- ties any number not exceeding the number of battalions, to serve as sub-lieutenants, who were severally to have such rank as the Presi- dent or Vice President might confer upon them. In the absence of the County Lieutenant, any two of the sub-lieutenants had power to perform all his duties.
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W.W.P.
Page 310
ROUZERVILLE, FRANKLIN CO. PA.
RSBURG FRANK! ! CO.PA.
Page 270
ST. JOHNS EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH & PARSONAGE, MERCERSBURG FRANKLY CO.PA.
Page 270
ROBERT KENNEDY MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND KENNEDY ACADEMY PRAC 155 WELSH RUN PA.
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
By the act of the 20th of March, 1780, now also obsolete, they were each required to give bond, with good securities, in the sum of twenty thousand pounds. They were to divide the several counties into militia districts, to contain not less than four hundred and forty, nor more than one thousand militia-men; cause the said militia to be enrolled ; divide each district into eight parts, or compa- nies ; fix the time for holding elections for officers-one captain, one lieutenant and one ensign, for each company, and one lieutenant colonel and one major for each battalion of eight companies. They were required to collect the militia fines, through the sub-lieuten- ants, who were to settle every three months, whilst the lientenants were required to settle every six months, or forfeit the sum of ten thousand pounds. The fine of an officer for non-attendance at com- pany exercise was the price of three days' labor, and the fine of non- commissioned officers and privates for such absence was the price of one and a-half days' labor. At battalion trainings the fine of a field officer for non-attendance was the price of eight days' labor, and other commissioned officers four days labor, and privates two days ·labor. All fines were collected under warrants from the County Lieutenant by sale of all the goods of the delinquent, or by impris- onment in jail for ten days for each fine.
The county lieutenants bought the arms for the militia-had them marked with the name of the county, battalion and company, and appraised all private arms and horses that went into service- paid for those arms that were lost or horses that were killed. When the militia were called out into service they gave them notice of the time and place of assembling, held and heard appeals, and granted relief, forwarded the troops called out to their points of destination, providing in the meanwhile for their support.
The county lientenants were the representatives of the State gov- ernment in military matters in the several counties, and had very arduous and important duties to perform in the troublous times of the revolution. To them the Supreme Executive Council issued their orders direct, and they enforced them through their subordi- nates-the sub-lieutenants-one of whom was attached to each bat- talion.
The pay of the county lieutenants was the value of one and a half bushels of wheat per day, and the pay of the sub-lieutenants, the value of one and a quarter bushels of wheat per day, to be paid out of the militia fines collected. On the 7th of April, 1785, Colonel Abraham Smith, of Antrim township, was appointed lieutenant of our county, and served until after his election as councillor, when he resigned on the 28th November, 1787. On the 1st December, 1787, Major Jeremiah Talbott was appointed lieutenant for this county, and served until the abolition of the office under the constitution of 1789-'90.
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
JOHN BROWN'S RAID INTO VIRGINIA.
The year 1859 has become celebrated in the annals of our conntry, because of the anti-slavery raid then made by John Brown and his followers into the ancient Common wealth of Virginia against human slavery. The exciting, and oft-times bloody, struggles which took place in Kansas, between the advocates of slavery, and the free-state men of the nation, whilst that region of country was being settled up, have become historical. John Brown was amongst the most active and ardent of the free-state men of Kansas, and owes his cog- nomen of "Ossawatomie Brown," to his participation in one of the fearful fights that took place there. So utterly hostile was he to every thing that in any way gave sanction to human slavery, that he became disgusted even with the Constitution of the United States, and in the month of May, 1858, was one of a band of about fifty ultra anti-slavery men who assembled at Chatham, Canada West, and made a new constitution of forty-eight articles, and a schedule "for the proscribed and oppressed people of the United States." That convention, on the 8th day of May, 1858, unanimously elected . John Brown commander-in-chief of all the forces that might be called into the field under their constitution. At the same time J. H. Kagi was elected Secretary of War; Richard Realf, Secretary of State; George B. Gill, Secretary of the Treasury ; Owen Brown, Treasurer ; and Alfred M. Ellsworth and Osborne Anderson mem- bers of Congress.
From that time forward the energies of John Brown were devoted to the making of preparations for the destruction of slavery. Money was collected and men were enlisted, both in the east and the west. John Brown and two of his sons, under the name of Smith, visited Virginia at various times between May, 15%, and June or July, 1559, and Harper's Ferry was finally selected as the point for commencing operations. The money collected by Brown was devoted to the pur- chase of arms and munitions of war, and the payment of the travelling expenses of those "choice spirits" whom he had persuaded to join him in his enterprise, who were instructed to come to Cham- bersburg in twos and threes, and there quietly take boarding, so as not to attract attention to their movements. Of course all this was done silently and secretly, no person but Brown and his followers knowing who they were, where they came from, nor what was their purpose in coming to Chambersburg.
I. Smith, alias John Brown, was first seen at Chambersburg about June or July, 1859. He was accompanied by one or two of his sons. They got boarding for awhile at one of our hotels, and afterwards in a private family in one of the back streets of the town, and professed to be engaged prospecting for minerals in the moun- tains of Maryland and Virginia, skirting the Potomac river. Their
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absences were frequent-sometimes shorter, sometimes longer-and they never spoke of where they had been nor what they had been doing. In a short time, about July or August, 1859, a number of boxes were forwarded here through the commission house of Messrs. Oaks & Caufman, consigned to I. Smith & Sons. These boxes were most carefully secured, so that their contents could not be seen, being in many cases double boxes. They were represented by the Smiths to contain picks and mattocks, and other tools for mining, and they were hauled away from the warehouse by persons enr- ployed by Smith, who were resident in sections of our county remote from Chambersburg. Smith (or Brown) himself came several times with a two-horse wagon and took away part of the goods consigned to him, and the purchases made here by him.
There was nothing whatever in the conduct of SSmith, nor of any of those who were with him here, nor, indeed, in the character of the freight he was receiving, to induce Messrs. Oaks & Caufman, or any of their employes, to think that he and those with him were not what they professed to be, nor that their consignments were not what they said they were.
It is now known that those boxes contained Sharpe's rifles and pistols, carbines, swords and pike heads, and ammunition suited to the fire arms named; but then all these things were most carefully concealed from the most prying and inquisitive eyes.
The people of Chambersburg were greatly censured because they did not find out what these boxes really did contain, whilst they were passing through the warehouses here, and because they did not discover the objeets and purposes of Brown in time to have prevented his useless and murderous raid. But Brown told no one here what he had in view, and his consignments came as any other consignments did, and were delivered to him by the carriers without a suspicion in regard to them. Besides, Brown, whilst here, openly purchased mattocks and picks, and other articles such as he said were in his boxes, and such as he would have had need for had his business really been such as he stated it to be. His every act served to prevent suspicion, and to make those dealing with him believe that he was only what he professed to be ; and when his mad effort had failed, and the truth became known as to who he was and what his purposes had been, none were more surprised than were the people of Chambersburg.
Shortly after Brown appeared in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, under his assumed name of I. Smith, he rented a small farm in Maryland, a few miles from the ferry. There he took the goods he received at Chambersburg, thus gradually collecting a considerable quantity of arms and ammunition, and a body of twenty-two men, of whom seventeen were white and five colored. The resolute and
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
daring character of Brown was well calculated to make him a leader in such an enterprise, and to inspire confidence in his followers.
His first effort was made Sunday evening, October 16th, 1859. Before leaving his mountain retreat to commence operations, he made an address to his followers, coneluding thus : " And now, gen- tlemen, let me press one thing on your minds. You all know how dear life is to you, and how dear your lives are to your friends; and in remembering that, consider that the lives of others are as dear to them as yours are to you. Do not, therefore, take the life of any one if you can possibly avoid it; but if it is necessary to take life in order to save your own, then make sure work of it."
To all of those taken prisoner by Brown, and who inquired as to the object of the proceedings, his answer was, "To free the stares," and to the question, by what authority he was aeting, the reply was made, " By the authority of God Almighty."
The result of Brown's mad undertaking is well known. Within forty eight hours of its commencement, it was crushed into nothing . ness by the troops of the general government, under Colonel Robert E. Lee, and those of the State of Virginia, under Colonels Baylor, Shutt, and others. Of Browu's whole band of twenty-two men, ten whites and three negroes were killed-three whites, two of whom were severely wounded, and two negroes, were taken prisoners, and four escaped, two of whom, J. E. Cook and Albert Hazlett were subsequently captured. John E. Cook, who with two or three others had attempted to escape north, along the South mountain, was captured in Quiney township, in our county, and was confined in jail here for some time before his surrender to the authorities of Virginia. * In his pocket book was found a commission in the fol- lowing form :
No. 4. HEADQUARTERS WAR DEPARTMENT, No. 4. NEAR HARPER'S FERRY, MARYLAND.
WHEREAS, John E. Cook has been nominated a captain in the army established under the Provisional Government. Now, There- fore, in pursuance of the authority vested in us, we do hereby ap- point and commission said John E. Cook, captain.
Given at the office of the Secretary of War, this day, October 15, 1859. H. KAGI, JOHN BROWN, Commander-in-Chief. Secretary of War.
Brown was convicted November 20, 1859, and sentenced to be hung December 2d, 1859; Cook was convicted November 10th, 1559, and sentenced to be hung December 16th, 1859, along with Edwin Cop- pee, white, and Shields Green and John Copeland, colored. Hazlett was captured at Carlisle aud surrendered to the Virginia authorities, and subsequently tried, convicted and hung. The other executions took place at the times appointed. When the union '
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armies captured Richmond they released from the penitentiary there, a colored man named Jerry Myers, who had been tried and convicted as an accomplice of Brown's, and sentenced to imprison- ment for life. He denied that he had ever anght to do with Brown's movements .. After his liberation he came to Chambersburg, where he lived until his death, several years ago.
Looking back at the undertaking of John Brown, and all its sur- roundings and attendant circumstances, one cannot fail to be im- pressed with the belief that he was not in his right mind. No sane man would have attempted what he did with such inadequate prep- arations as he had made. Neither he, nor those acting with him, could have reasonably hoped for success had they for a moment seriously considered the power of the State upon which they made their raid.
John Brown, upon being asked why sentence should not be passed upon him, said : " I deny everything but what I have all along ad- mitted, the design on my part to free the stares. That was all I in- tended. I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection. This court acknowledges, as I suppose, the validity of the Law of God. I see a book kissed here which I suppose to be the Bible, or, at least, the New Testament. That teaches me that 'all things whatsoever I would that men should do unto me, I should do even so to them.' It teaches me further, to 'remember them that are in bonds as bound with them.' I endeavored to act up to that instruction. I am yet too young to understand that God is any respecter of persons. I believe that to interfere, as I have- done, was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of jus- tice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children. and with the blood of millions in this slave country, whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel and unjust enactments, Lambmit; so let it be done."
Of John Brown's bravery, no testimony could be more emphatic than that of his opponents. Governor Wise, who saw him after his conviction, said : "They are mistaken who take him to be a mad- man. He is a bundle of the best nerves I ever saw, ent, and thrust, and bleeding, and in bonds. He is a man of clear head, of courage and fortitude, and simple ingenionsness. He is cool, collected and indomitable, and inspired me with great trust in his integrity as a man of truth. He is as brave and resolute a man as ever headed an insurrection. He has coolness, daring, persistency, stoie faith and patience, and a firmness of will and purpose unconquerable. He is the farthest possible remove from the ordinary ruffian, fanatic or madman." Colonel Washington, also, said that " Brown was the coolest man he ever saw in defying death and danger. With one
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son dead by his side, and another shot through, he felt the pulse of his dying son with one hand, held his rifle with the other, and com- manded his men with the utmost composure, encouraging them to be firm, and to sell their lives as dearly as possible."
I have referred to this chapter in the history of our country, be- cause in our county town of Chambersburg, unknown to our people, this great opponent of human slavery had established his base for the receipt of supplies for his undertaking; here he lived for several months; here his followers secretly and silently assembled : here the office of his war department was established, and from hence went out his orders north, south, east and west, and from hence his chosen band of little over a score, went off upon that desperate, dare-devil enterprise, in which nearly all of them ren- dered up their lives to the furtherance of the cause they had so blindly espoused. Unaided by any others than those leagued with them, without the countenance of those surrounding them, and with no hope of assistance from the anti-slavery element of the country, like the gallant six hundred at Balaklava, they
"Rushed into the jaws of death"-
and went down into bloody graves, martyrs to a desperate and hopeless undertaking.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
We have had four Constitutional Conventions in Pennsylvania in the past one hundred years.
The delegates to the first Convention were elected July 8th, 1776, in pursuance of a resolve of the Provincial Conference of Pennsylva. nia, which met at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, June Istt., 1776.
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