USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > Ransom > History and directory of Newton and Ransom townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; > Part 8
USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > Newton > History and directory of Newton and Ransom townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; > Part 8
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If the fort was at that time in a condition to serve any useful purpose, it is difficult to under- stand why the people of the town were at such pains to build in 1776 a fort for their protection on the Public Square, inasmuch as Durkee was a much stronger place and quite as convenient, or how a work of this importance escaped de- struction at the hands of the enemy after the battle of Wyoming. The brook mentioned above as forming one of the safeguards of the fort, has long since disappeared. One branch of it had its rise near the place known as the Five Points, and the other branch in the Court House Square; the later flowed in a southerly direction, emptying into a marsh at a point near the Lehigh Valley railroad. The stream leaving the marsh crossed Main street near Wood street, and took a northerly course to Academy and River streets, where it was spann- ed by a bridge, thence it flowed into the river at Fish's Eddy. There has been some question
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
in respect to the location of this fort. Hon. Charles Miner, whose recollection of events hap- pening prior to the beginning of this century was clear, says in his History of Wyoming, page 126, that Durkee was located sixty rods south- west of Fort Wyoming, and that the remains of the latter were in a tolerable state of preserva- tion in the year 1800. The site of Fort Wyom- ing is well known and the distance of sixty rods in the direction indicated, fixes the location of Durkee as given above.
MILL CREEK FORT
This fort was situated on the river bank on the north side of the stream of the same name, which now forms the northern boundary line
along the inner walls of the fort which pro- vided sufficient room for all who came. The community continued to occupy the fort as a dwelling place for a considerable period, and until the alarm, from whatever source it came, had subsided.
This place was the scene of the first settle- ment by the Connecticut people, as well as of the tragedy of October 15th, 1763. The im- provements of the first settlers, consisting of a log-house and a few small cabins, were erected here. Upon their return in the year 1769, they made their way thither in hopes of finding a place of shelter and defense. The improve- ments, however, had fallen into the hands of the Pennamites who were secured in a strongly
THE PRESENT SITE OF FORT WYOMING, RIVER COMMON, WILKES-BARRE, PA.
of the city of Wilkes-Barre. It was built in the year 1772, after the cessation of hostilities be- tween the Connecticut settlers and the Penna- mites. It occupied the site of the Pennamite stronghold known as Ogden's Fort, named in honor of Captain Ogden, which had been cap- tured and burned in 1770. The position was a strong one, standing on the high bank of the river, protected on two sides by the river and the creek. It was designed to guard and con- trol the mills upon that stream, as well as to furnish a safe retreat to the people of the neighborhood. The necessity of the times seems to have been pressing, for we are in- formed that the settlers in and about Wilkes- Barre moved into the fort the same year, taking their household goods and other personal ef- fects along with them. Huts were erected
fortified block-house, known as Ogden's Fort, and prepared to resist any steps looking to a settlement. This historic spot was covered in part by a culm heap of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company. The tracks of the Lehigh Val- ley railroad cross it in one direction, while a bridge of the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern spans it in another. The pumping station and mains of the Wilkes-Barre Water Company and the mains of an oil pipe line complete the occupa- tion ..
FORT WYOMING
This fort was located in the present city of Wilkes-Barre, on the river common, about eight rods southwest of the junction of Northampton and River streets. It was built in January, 1771, by Captain Amos Ogden, the able leader
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
of the Proprietary forces, and one hundred men under his command. The purpose of its erec- tion was the reduction of Fort Durkee, the stronghold of the Yankees, and like Durkee it became an important factor in carrying forward to an issue the controversy alluded to. In 1771 it fell into the hands of the Connecticut people. It was not built, as is apparent from the state- ment just made, as a defense against the In- dians, but seems to have been used for that purpose in 1772 and 1773 and later. It was this fort doubtless that is mentioned in the records of those years, as "the fort in Wilkes- Barre" where constant guard was required to be kept. After this time, it passes out of notice; no account has come down to us of the manner of its destruction or other disposition. It is reasonable to suppose that it was not standing in 1776, as the people would have made use of it instead of building a fort in that time of need. This fort gave its name to a successor built on the same site in 1778, and which be- came an important post during the period of the war.
On the 4th of August, 1778, a month after the battle, Colonel Zebulon Butler, ordered to the command of this post by the Board of War, returned to Wyoming with Captain Spaulding's Company, being the two Independent West- moreland Companies now reduced to seventy- eight officers and men, and Captain Smith's militia of thirty-four officers and men, and find- ing the Wilkes-Barre fort destroyed, and no other defensive work capable of sheltering his men, and the region still invested by Indians, immediately took measures to maintain his po- sition. He took posession of a log-house on what is now South Main street, near the Picker- ing or Ross house and set up around it a strong paling built of posts set into the ground about three feet and standing ten or twelve feet high, provided with loop-holes for firing. This served as quarters for the small force until they could rebuild Fort Wyoming. The presence of this company in the valley gave some sense of se- curity to the returning fugitives, a number of whom joined the soldiers in the work of build- ing the fort.
The fort was built of logs, on the site of the old Fort Wyoming on the river bank. Two parallel walls seven feet high and four feet apart were placed horizontally and framed to each other at proper distances; the space be- tween the two was filled with well tamped earth. The walls were protected by a ditch, and beyond the ditch tops of trees with branches carefully sharpened were set in the ground, forming a kind of Cheval-de-frise. Within the inclosure a low platforni was erected along the walls on all sides, standing upon which the men were
able to fire their guns over the top. A single four-pound gun was mounted in the works and in order to insure its greatest efficiency in time of need, openings were made in each of the walls, thus enabling the defenders by changing the location of the piece to turn its fire in any direction. The walls were rounded at the cor- ners so as to flank on all sides, and a gate opened toward the west. Access to a copious spring at the margin of the river was had by a protected way; the inclosure contained about half an acre of land, and barracks were provided for the garrison. The fort was enlarged and strengthened afterwards. The garrison was in- creased as appears (Sept. 1, 1778) by Captain Bush and company of eighty-five men and Lieutenant Gore's company of eight, and was thereby enabled to send a company of men, the Wyoming Volunteers, to the West Branch to reinforce the battalions under Colonel Hartley, of the Pennsylvania line, in his expedition to Sheshequin, in September, 1778, to destroy the Indian settlement, which had served as a base of supplies for the savages in their frequent attacks on Wyoming. The expedition having accomplished its purpose, returned to Sunbury by way of Wyoming, when the garrison was in- creased by the Wyoming Company and a small detail from Col. Hartley's regiment, making in all about one hundred and forty men on Oct. 3, 1778. Included in this number were the remnants of a company under Lieutenant Gore, and Captain Smith's militia. This expedition marched three hundred miles in two weeks, de- vastated Queen Esther's country, and defeated the Indians in several skirmishes.
WILKES-BARRE FORT
Wilkes-Barre Fort was located in the south- west corner of the Public Square, Wilkes-Barre. (occupied the ground covered in part by the old court house which was torn down in 1909, after the completion of the new edifice of jus- tice, erected on the river common. The stone recently erected in the public square to mark the four points of the compass stands upon the site of this fort.) This fort was built in pur- suance of the vote of the town meeting of Au- gust 24, 1776, but it was not finished until 1778. The court house and jail of Westmore- land county were also located here, and this place seems to have been selected for the build- ing of the fort with the view of protecting these buildings by enclosing them within its walls. The walls were of a double row of logs set up- right in a trench, in the same manner as those of Forty Fort were constructed, and reached to the height of sixteen feet above the ground. The structure contained an area of about one- half an acre, and was in the form of a parallelo-
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
gram, with flanking towers at the angles, and was provided with a single gateway opening to- ward the river, northwest. The sides were pierced with loop-holes to enable the garrison to deliver its fire without exposure; and one four- pound gun was mounted on the rampart, but, inasmuch as there happened to be no suitable ammunition, it served as an alarm gun only. Barracks or huts were built along the walls within the works, which, together with the room afforded by the public buildings, were suf- ficient to shelter the occupants. The work was surrounded by a ditch. The water supply was taken from a spring either within the enclosure or near at hand.
A large number of women and children were crowded into this shelter on the eve of the bat- tle, with but a handful of men for their protec- tion. The necessity of a large garrison was not so pressing in this case, perhaps, as in some others, owing to the muster of the militia at Forty Fort, three miles north, on the opposite side of the river, and directly in the line of the advance movement of the enemy. A few of the survivors of the battle made their escape to the Wilkes-Barre fort, bringing word of the battle. During the night plans were made for flight; and on the morning of the 4th many of the occupants of the fort set out, empty handed, on their long and perilous journey through the wilderness. On the same day the savages were in possession of the fort. There seems to have been no formal surrender, as the articles of capitulation of Forty Fort included this also. During the day the fort was abandoned, and a band of savages seeking plunder entered it and set it on fire, reducing to ashes both the fort and public buildings.
WINTERMOOT'S FORT
This fort was situated in Exeter township, be- tween Wyoming avenue, in the present bor- ough of Exeter, (Sturmerville) and the Susque- hanna, about eight rods from the river. It consisted of a stockade surrounding a dwelling house, and was built prior to the time of hold- ing the town meeting in August, 1776, by the Wintermoots, a numerous family who had lived in that neighborhood for some time. They had fallen under the suspicion of their neighbors by reason of various circumstances, which led to the belief that the family were Tories and in communication with the enemy. The building of the fort had not been sanctioned by any one in authority and this circumstance deepened the distrust with which they were looked upon; though no facts were at hand that might con- firm the suspicion or serve as grounds to support charges against them. This state of affairs, however, was enough to put the inhabitants on
their guard, and led to the town meeting of Au- gust, 1776, which required that all forts should be located by the committee, in order that there- after, no one who was under suspicion should be permitted to build a fort. The fort was un- der command of Lieutenant Elisha Scovell, and at the approach of the enemy it sheltered a few families of the neighborhood. At the command to surrender a feeble show of resistance was made, but all serious efforts of defense were op- posed by the Wintermoots who said that Major John Butler, the commander of the enemy, would find a welcome there.
On the evening of July 1, the enemy en- camped on the mountain nearly opposite this fort and within two miles of it. Parties of the enemy passed in and out of the fort during the night; the next morning the gates were thrown open and possession given up. It is probable that the enemy here learned the number and disposition of our forces, our defensive works, locations and the quantity of plunder that would fall to the lot of the savage ally. This fort became the headquarters of Major Butler. The capitulation was made on the following terms:
"Wintermoot's Fort, July 1, 1778.
"ART. 1st. That Lieutenant Elisha Scovell surrender the fort, with all the stores, arms and ammunition that are in said fort, as well pub- lic as private, to Major John Butler.
2d. That the garrison shall not bear arms during the present contest, and Major Butler promises that the men, women and children shall not be hurt, either by Indians or rangers."
On the 3d of July at about the time our troops were forming their line of battle, the fort was set on fire and consumed. No motive has been assigned for the act; wheher it was by design or accident is not known. It seems probable that Major Butler studied to have it appear that the Wintermoots were looked upon by him as belonging to our side; it might be of service to them in the future. This view would account for the unnecessary formality of articles of ca- pitulation in the surrender of their fort and also for its destruction. The Wintermoots joined the enemy and in their company with- drew from the valley a few days later, and re- ceived the reward due them for this treachery.
Colonel Zebulon Butler, in his report of the battle refers to this fort in the following words : "In the meantime (July 1-3) the enemy had got possession of two forts, one of which we had reason to believe was designed for them, though they burnt both." All the authorities concur in the belief that the Wintermoots were in secret communication with the enemy, and that the fort was built with the ultimate pur-
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
pose of giving it up to them and to aid and abet their cause.
FORTY FORT
The site of this stronghold is in the borough of the same name on the southerly side of the line of the junction of River street with Fort street. Standing on the high western bank of the Susquehanna it was adinirably situated to command the river at this point. It derived its name from the forty pioneers who, having been sent forward from Connecticut in 1769 by the Susquehanna Company to take possession of the
mensions. Opinions differ as to its size, the better authority seems to be that it enclosed an acre or more of ground; indeed, excavations made a few years ago disclosed the remains of the timbers in place, extending in one direction two hundred and twenty feet, indicating in con- nection with other circumstances an inclosure of at least an acre. The walls of this fort were of logs, the material generally used in such de- fenses. These were set upright in a trench five feet in depth, extending twelve feet above the surface of the ground, and were sharpened at the tops. The joints or crevices between the
FORTY FORT, 1778
Drawn by Judge Dana from description.
land in its behalf, were rewarded for their ser- vices by a grant of the township of Kingston, and from this circumstance known likewise as' the township of the Forty, and the Forty town, within which the fort was located. The build- ing of the fort was begun in the year 1770, and served as a place of security in time of danger and alarm. At a later period it seems to have been partly destroyed, or at least left in a con- dition not fitted for guarding as the law at the time required, for we learn that in 1772 and 1773 the Kingston men were ordered to mount guard in the fort at Wilkes-Barre until they shall build fortifications of their own. (From Il'estmoreland Records.) In 1777, under di- rection of the committee it was partly rebuilt, adding much to the strength, as well as its di-
Courtesy of Wyoming Historical Society
upright logs were protected by another tier of logs planted and secured in like manner, thus forming a double wall. Barracks or huts were built along the walls within the fort for the shelter of the occupants. The roof of these buildings served as a platform from which the garrison could defend the works, and the space in the centre, surrounded by the barracks, was used as a parade. The inclosure was rectan- gular in shape, having a gateway opening to- wards the north and another towards the south, and small sentry towers at the four corners rising a few feet above the walls. A cold flowing spring at the margin of the river, below the structure, supplied water to the fort. Access to the spring was rendered safe by means of a sunken passageway, having the top protect-
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
ed by timber work, leading down from the fort. A water supply was always one of the controll- ing influences in the location of a work of this character. This was true in the case of the several forts in Wyoming; some contained with- in their walls running water, others had springs near at hand as in the present instance.
During the last days of June, 1778, when it became known that the enemy in great force was approaching Wyoming, the inhabitants generally sought the protection afforded by the several forts. Probably the largest number gathered at Forty Fort, owing to its larger di- mensions and promise of greater security. Here nearly four hundred, made up of six companies of militia, the train bands, and old men and
the encroachment of the current. Through the laps of years a large part of the bluff has been washed away, and a considerable part of the site is now the river's bed.
The structure was a stockade built around and in connection with the dwelling house of John Jenkins, (a Yankee) hence its name. The stockade part was built in the usual man- ner by planting upright timbers in a trench of proper depth; these uprights were sharpened at the tops, and in this case, owing to their small size doubtless, "were fastened together by pins of wood and stiffened with two rows of timbers put on horizontally and pinned to the uprights inside, thus stiffening and uniting the whole into a sustantial structure."
RIVER AND FORT STREETS, FORTY FORT. Showing the Location of the Old Fort.
boys, "chiefly the undisciplined, the youthful, and the aged, spared by inefficiency from the distant ranks of the Republic."
This fort was not demolished, and a few years later was put in repair and garrisoned for a short time.
JENKINS' FORT
This site was fixed by the committee before mentioned under resolution of the town meet- ing of August, 1776, and the building was be- gun soon after that date. Being in the neigh- borhood of Wintermoot's Fort it was looked upon as a counter-check to that structure-and this may have been the reason it was speedily finished. It was situated in Exeter township, within the present limits of the borough of West Pittston, near the Pittston Ferry bridge. Standing upon the top of the high bank, and overlooking the river, the place was subject to
Several families were gathered within this inclosure on the evening of July 1st for the pro- tection it seemed to promise. Immediately after the surrender of Wintermoot's Fort a de- tachment of the enemy under command of Cap- tain Caldwell of the Royal Greens was sent to reduce the place. The garrison consisted of but eight available men, and no effectual resistance being possible, surrendered the fort under the following terms:
Fort Jenkins, July 1, 1778. "Between Major John Butler, on behalf of his Majesty King George the Third, and John Jenkins.
"ART. 1st. That the fort with all the stores, arms and ammunition be delivered up imme- diately.
"2d. That Major John Butler shall preserve to theni, entire, the lives of the men, women and
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
children."
Like Wintermoot's Fort, it was burned dur- ing the battle two days later.
PITTSTON FORT
Pittston Fort was situated in the township of the same name on the east bank of the Susque- hanna river, now within the limits of the city of Pittston, between Main street and the river. It is nearly opposite the site of Jenkins' Fort. The original defensive works that occupied this space were built under the authority of the pro- prietors.
At a meeting of the proprietors and settlers, held in Wilkes-Barre, May 20, 1772, it was voted: "That ye Proprietors belonging to ye Town of Pittston have ye liberty to go into their Town, and there to forty-fie and keep in a body near together, and Guard by themselves until further notice from this Committee." (from Westmoreland Records.) In accordance with this vote the proprietors of the township laid out the lot mentioned, for the purpose of a fort. Each proprietor seems to have had the, right of building a house upon the lot suited for his defense in case of attack, and following a general plan in respect to size and location, which, when completed would form a fortifica- tion of quite large dimensions, and that might- withstand the assaults of a large force. The fort was composed of thirty-five houses of uni- form size, built of logs, the houses. "standing in. the form of a pyramid or triangle, the base of which was formed by the river; each one being placed three feet within the other, on the upper side, so that the rear of every successive house. could be defended from the preceeding one. There was a space betwen the houses which formed the base and those which formed the sides of the pyramid, with a large gateway which was flanked with pickets at each end. The houses on the upper side faced toward the river, and those on the river side faced toward the hill or the inclosed area. Those that were next to the river were constructed so as to guard against an attack from the Indians creeping along the bank. The house at the apex of the triangle was situated on the highest ground and overlooked not only the fort but the river and surrounding country. On the top of this house was a promenade for sentries. The houses were so constructed as to communicate from the one to the other in the upper story. Along the north corner there was a stream of water from which the inhabitants of the fort received their supply."-Proc. & Coll. Wyoming Hist. and Geolog. Society, 11, 78.
There is some doubt as to the time the fort was finished in accordance with this plan. Tt was begun in 1772 as before stated; in 1774
several of its houses were finished. The tri- angle, however, was not completed until 1779, or perhaps later. It is certain the fort was fin- ished in the manner described soon after 1779, and remained in use a number of years. In 1778 the people of the neighborhood were shel- tered in three block-houses surrounded by a stockade built in the usual way-this being a portion only of the fort with the stockade added as a temporary defense. By this disposition it would be capable of being defended by a smaller garrison, and also furnish enough room during the cmergency.
All the families living in Pittston and its neighborhood were assembled within this en- closure during the battle of Wyoming. The gar- rison consisted of about forty men under the command of Captain Jeremiah Blanchard, and comprised one of the companies of the 24th regiment that did not take part in the battle. The responsibility of protecting the women and children under their charge outweighed every other consideration. It is said also that Major Butler immediately upon his arrival gave orders for the collection and guarding of all craft upon the river thereabouts, making com- munication with the opposite bank impossible. From their station in the fort the people could ¿ see the enemy on the other side, and were wit- nesses to the battle and flight from the field, as well as to the unspeakable methods of torture practiced on the prisoners the night following the battle ..
On the 4th of July the fort was surrendered on the same terms granted to the other forts, and assurance of the safety of the lives of the occupants. The Indians placed a mark of black paint on the faces of the prisoners, in order that they might be known and saved from harm, as the savages asserted; and telling them fur- ther, in case they went outside the fort, each should carry a piece of white cloth for like pur- pose. The scenes that were enacted at Forty Fort were repeated here; the savages plundered the people of all they possessed. As soon as possible after the surrender most of the inmates of the fort fled to the settlement on the Dela- ware, and made their way thence to their former homes in New England. A few, however, as happened at Forty Fort, detained by sickness or other causes, remained in the fort two weeks after the battle, subject to the constant terror and molestation of the hordes of savages that infested every place. After the fort was deserted it was partly burnt by the vagrant Indians; but within two years thereafter it was restored and the plan before described was carried out, mak- ing an extensive and strong defensive work. The houses of the forts being the dwellings of the proprietors, the garrison therefore comprised
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