USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the Revolution, from 1774 to 1783 > Part 10
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A company of 52 volunteers, raised in Berks County, was sent by Col. Morgan to Philadelphia on June 27, 1780, under tbe com- mand of Maj. Edward Scull, with a muster roll. The remaining men of the order were to be sent on the following Monday. I could not ascertain what tbe number was.
The 5th Regt. of Infantry in the Penna. Line was ordered on January 23, 1781, to be recruited at Reading ; and on the 30th an order for £500 was drawn to Henry Christ for enlisting men into tbis regiment.
Sept. 22, 1781 .- "Passed tbrougb [Lancaster] this afternoon 153 recruits from York, but raised at Reading, for Philadelphia." [Marshall's Diary, p. 283].
June 14, 1783 .- A petition from Capt. Peter Smith was presented to the Executive Council, "in belialf of the Militia of Greenwich and Maxatawny townships, in tbe County of Berks, praying tbat they may be paid for a tour of duty performed in 1781."
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October 2, 1784 .- A detachment of 50 men out of Berks County Militia was ordered to be sent to Wyoming to quiet the disturb- ances there and support the civil authority.
April 6, 1790 .- Capt. Jacob Ladich was paid £294, 5sh, 10d, bal- ance due of £332, 9sh, 4d, for the pay and bounty of his company of Berks County Militia while employed in the service of the United States under the command of Col. Samuel Ely from Oct. 1, 1781, until Oct. 17, 1781, including their extra pay.
Nov. 24, 1790 .- Lieut. Daniel Stroud was paid £95, 18sh, for the residue of pay due to his company of Berks County Militia while employed in guarding prisoners of war in August and September, 1781.
Dec. 9, 1790 .- The Comptroller-General approved of the follow- ing claims :
Capt. - Spatts, balance of {130, 17sh., 2d. to pay his company of Berks Co. Militia for militia service in 1781.
Capt. George Riehm, balance of {217, 15sh., 6d. to pay his company for services in 1781.
Dec. 17, 1790 .- He also approved the following accounts pre- sented :
Lieut. - Miller, £33, 9sh., 4d. to pay six men of his company in the 6th Battalion of Berks Co. Militia while guarding Convention prisoners of war at Reading in 1781.
Lieut. Jacob Rehrer, {260, 16sh., 6d. to pay his company of the 2nd Battalion of Berks Co. Militia for similar service in 1781.
Dr. Nicholas Snell, {27 for 18 days' pay as a Surgeon of Col. Samuel Ely's Bat- talion of Berks County Militia from Oct. 1, 1781, to Oct. 18, 1781, while on a tour of duty to Newtown, in Bucks County, under Gen'I Lacy.
On Dec. 15, 1790, Jacob Severts was paid £2, 19sh., 6d. for serv- ing as Q. M .- Sergeant on same tour of duty, 17 days, in this bat- talion.
Payments for County Militia.
The following payments were found to have been made during this period to, for and on account of the militia in Berks County :
March 28, 1776 .- A payment of £12 was made to Capt. Dirck Pennybacker of Berks County. At that time he resided in Amity township, where he carried on a grist mill and farm, together containing 200 acres. He was still assessed in the township in 1781.
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Oct. 13, 1776 .- Maj. Ennion Williams was paid £9, 17sh, 6d, for guard duty at the State House, powder house, etc., from July to November, 1775, to pay 66 privates and 13 officers. And on the same day Col. Daniel Brodhead was allowed $30 per month during captivity of Col. Miles, while he commanded the Pennsylvania troops, this being for the support of his table. Both were' from Berks County.
Dec. 31, 1776 .- Adam Witman, Commissioner of Berks Co., was paid $2000 for Committee of Safety.
Jan. 15, 1777 .- Capt. - Fisher was paid £1, 12sh, for sub- sistence of his company in 3rd Battalion of County Militia.
Jan. 22, 1777 .- John Hufty was paid £1 for firing and lodging three companies of the County Militia.
Jan. 23, 1777. - Capt. John Old was paid $125 for a month's wages of a Colonel and Major.
Aug. 25, 1777 .-- Col. Daniel Hunter was re-appointed Paymaster of the County Militia. He was filling this office then ; but find- ing it inconvenient to continue, Henry Spyker was appointed in his stead on Aug. 26, 1777.
Sept. 10, 1777 .- An order was drawn to Col. Jacob Morgan for £500.
March 28, 1778 .- Order drawn on treasurer in favor of Henry Spyker, Paymaster of Berks Co. Militia, for £5000; April, 17, 1778, £6000 ; and May 20, 1778, £5000.
Nov. 30, 1780 .- Order on treasurer drawn to Henry Spyker, Paymaster of Berks County, for £163,000 to pay militia of said County, if so much in the treasury, arising from militia fines in the said County. This must be an error in the Colonial Records.
Dec. 13, 1780 .- Resolved that Jacob Morgan pay off militia who marched on late tour of duty.
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CHAPTER VII.
PRISONERS OF WAR AT READING.
Reading was a prominent place for locating prison- ers of war that were taken at different times in the course of prosecuting the Revolution. They com- prised different nationalities, but principally English, Hessians and Germans, and the following particulars are detailed, respecting the several classes.
ENGLISH PRISONERS.
Owing to the arrival of certain English prisoners at Reading in February, 1776, without any notice or preparation, the following letter was forwarded to the Pennsylvania delegates in the Continental Congress :
READING, February 4, 1776.
Gentlemen : A number of English soldiers, who were lately taken in Canada, have arrived here, with their wives and children. The Committee were immediately assembled, and, although they were much surprised at so large a party being ordered here with- out any previous notice and without any person attending them to supply them with necessaries, yet, understanding it was the pleasure of Congress the said soldiers should be quartered here, they immediately appointed Mr. Henry Haller, a member of the Committee, to provide houses, fire-wood and provisions for the party who must have otherwise suffered much at this severe sea- son. As we are totally unacquainted with the pleasure of the honorable Congress as to the particular quantities of provisions to be allowed these prisoners, we have despatched an express to you, gentlemen, desiring you will, by his return, be pleased to procure and send to us the directions of Congress to govern us in the matter.
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As Mr. Haller has been an active member of this Committee, and is a very suitable person, we beg leave to recommend him to be continued as Commissary for the soldiers stationed here.
We are, gentlemen, your most obedient, humble servants. By order of the Committee of Correspondence.
MARK BIRD, Chairman.
On April 17, 1776, the officers, who were prisoners of war at Reading, were ordered to be removed to Leb- anon ; and on July roth, Congress ordered that the privates who were prisoners there should be removed to Lancaster.
In September, 1776, the conduct and late hours of the prisoners excited the citizens to such an extent that a meeting of the Committee of Berks County was called on September 3rd and resolutions were adopted praying the Council of Safety to require the prisoners to disarm themselves and repair to their respective lodgings at a seasonable hour-8 P. M .- every even- ing. Capt. John Witman, Thomas Warren and Michael Graus were appointed to take possession of fire-arms, etc .; and on the 4th, Daniel Rose, Philip Kremer and Krauff Hiener were appointed to assist them. On the 5th, they reported that Gen'l Prescott liad refused to deliver up his pistols until he had first broken and rendered them useless, and that he had declared they acted like robbers. He admitted his conduct, and the committee resolved "that he be committed to the Common Gaol till the opinion of the Council of Safety be known." James Read, chair- man, reported this action to the Council, and made request that "a guard be kept as security from any attempts which may be made by the prisoners in our present defenceless situation." The Council heard
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the matter on the roth, and ordered guard to be kept as long as the prisoners remained, at the Council's ex- pense.
Joseph McIlvain was paid £66 on December II, 1776, for removing prisoners from Bristol to Reading.
Read's Letter to Council .- On December 26, 1776, seven persons as prisoners reached Reading, having been taken there from Northampton County, as sus- pects inimical to the Revolution. Their arrival in- duced James Read, Esq., to address a letter to the Council of Safety on the next day, which was as fol- lows :
" Reading being the nearest place, we, who have already more prisoners, French and Scotch, than we have men at arms, (old and young together) in this place, shall have all the Tories that North- ampton can find, whereby the ruin of this town is justly appre- hended. Lancaster has Barracks, and neither that town, nor York, has any prisoners in it. But if the people of Northampton have their choice of three places, they will always send to the nearest of them. Thus Reading must be endangered, and at best burthened. Our prison is small, that of Lancaster large, and that town is three times as large as this. Pray, sir, let these things be immediately considered. We are distressed. The militia from Northumberland disturb us by their importunity for salt ; which, surely, we are not to provide, when there is such a scanty portion in every family.
"We have heard that a Hospital is to be made in this place. Strange this ! when we have not one house in town unoccupied. Many families have come hither from Philadelphia. I need say no more on this head. I am obliged to write in great haste. I cannot, however, conclude, without pressing you, sir [the Presi- dent, Thomas Wharton, jr.] to try to relieve us of these tories and other prisoners, and saying that hereafter it will be impossible to get a waggon, or any service done without ready pay. The people who have hitherto done publie services are very impor- tunate and grow angry that they are not paid."
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Pursuant to the request of Gen'l Washington, the Council of Safety on March 1, 1777, directed Col. Haller to remove the French prisoners at Reading to Easton, in order that an exchange might take place, and when he reached Easton he was to dispatch a messenger to Gen'l Washington to let him know it, so as to receive such further directions respecting their route as he might think proper to give.
Quaker Prisoners from Philadelphia .- Certain pris- oners, (twenty prominent Quakers) were stationed in the "Mason's Lodge " at Philadelphia. On Septem- ber 10, 1777, they were ordered to be escorted to Reading ; and on the 12th, the Bucks County Militia were ordered to act as a guard in conducting the British prisoners to Reading and such others as may be necessary to be added. They stayed for a time at the public house kept by Eve Withington, the widow of Capt. Withington. She presented a petition to the Executive Council on January 9, 1789, praying pay- ment of her account. The balance due her was paid June 23, 1789. They were escorted by two of the light-horse of Philadelphia in this circuitous route to avoid the British, and doubtless proceeded by way of Lancaster, Carlisle, Hagerstown and the Shenandoah Valley to their destination at Staunton, in Augusta County, Virginia. On January 1, 1778, an order for £159 was drawn to pay the expense of removing cer- tain Quaker prisoners to Reading.
In May, 1779, a disturbance between the British prisoners and the inhabitants of Reading was reported to the Council of War by President Reed and their removal to New Jersey was suggested.
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30
PREISS BROS READING PA
County Jail at Reading, 5th and Washington streets, 1770 to 1848.
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June 1, 1779 .- A letter was addressed by Col. Henry Haller to the Executive Council, enclosing sundry papers respecting the prisoners at Reading, and the disturbances between them and the inhabitants of the town. These papers were ordered to be sent to the Board of War with the request that the said prisoners be sent to some other place.
By a letter from the Secretary of the Board of War to the Executive Council on July 19, 1780, it would appear that there were then only about 100 prisoners of war at Reading. At that time, Col. Henry Haller was the "Commissary of Prisoners" at Reading, and he complained of the great scarcity of provisions. This must refer only to those in the town, not near by.
Geist's Company on Guard Duty.
The following detachment of Capt. Conrad Geist's Company, of the 6th Battalion of County Militia was detailed to guard the prisoners while in the Reading Jail from which they had attempted to break out, and also while they were being conducted from Reading to Lancaster. This was in 1776 :
Captain. Conrad Geist.
Ensign.
Jacob Stehly.
Sergeants. George Gertner. William Shener.
Privates.
Matthias Babb. Peter Feather. George Houser.
Peter Custard.
Conrad Fesig. George Jaeger.
Christian Deringer.
Peter Fesig. Philip Klinger.
Christopher Diem.
Christopher Fisher. William Knorr. John Fister. Matthias Leib.
George Donnelly.
Paul Ege.
George Fry. Abraham Levan.
George Eisenbeis.
Jesse Grinding. Daniel McCoy.
Isaac Ermold.
John Hiener. Dewalt Miller.
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John Miller.
Zacharias Rexroad.
James Simpson.
Frederick Nagel.
Christian Setley. John Snyder.
Philip Nagel.
Henry Setley.
Henry Wolf.
Jacob Petre.
Christian Shreffler.
HESSIAN PRISONERS.
In 1775, the King of Great Britain obtained by treaty from the German Princes 17,000 men for the purpose of sending them to America to assist in sub- duing the American Colonies. These men were sent early in 1776. Many of them, (Hessians) were taken prisoners at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, and conveyed to Lancaster.
The Continental troops then took the following prisoners, arms, etc. : 750 Hessians, I lieutenant- colonel, 2 majors, 4 captains, 15 subalterns, 3 stand- ards, 6 brass field pieces and near 1000 stand of arms. Two days afterward, Gen'l Washington commanded them to be forwarded to Lancaster.
The following letter was addressed to Daniel Cly- mer, Esq., at Lancaster, in 1777, by Joseph Nourn, from Philadelphia, in reference to the removal of pris- oners from that place to Reading :
"The Board have directed me to write to William Atlee, Deputy Commissary of Prisoners, to whom you'll please to render all the assistance in your power in the removal of the Prisoners of War from Lancaster towards Reading and Lebanon. Congress having just been informed by Express that the Enemy are landing in Maryland above Baltimore, & its being past a doubt the rescuing their Prisoners & the destruction of our Stores are the objects they have in view. On this important occasion, anything in your power, the Board are well satisfied will be done. You'll please to have an eye to the Prisoners at York, & if Mr. Atlee can do the Business by himself at Lancaster, it is the desire of the Board you proceed thither, & the Committee are hereby earnestly re-
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quested to furnish such a number of Militia as shall put it out of the power of the Prisoners to effect an escape. We are unac- quainted with the number of Prisoners at York ; you will, there- fore, act as your own good sense may dictate."
Some of these prisoners were afterward stationed at Reading. The first location in the town was in the southern section. The exact place was along the Schuylkill a short distance below the ferry, where the "Lancaster Bridge" is now situated. After remain- ing in that locality several years, they were removed to the southern declivity of Penn's Mount. This re- inoval was caused by the frequent disturbances which arose between the prisoners and the citizens of the town.
On June 27, 1781, President Reed wrote to Valen- tine Eckert, "that it was the desire that the prisoners should be encamped in huts at some small distance from Reading, where wood and water were convenient ; that Colonel Morgan had mentioned a piece of ground which had belonged to the proprietaries, which would be convenient and proper." Three persons were ap- pointed to select a location-Valentine Eckert, Lieu- tenant of Berks County ; Maj. Bayley and Col. Wood, of Lancaster. On the 17th of July, Col. Wood wrote to President Reed, "that he could not decide where to locate the prisoners; that certain persons, who thought they did not have a legal title to the Com- mons, had paid the taxes and claimed the land." He, therefore, referred the matter to him for a decision.
The "Commons " was not selected; but the com- mittee went half a mile to the eastward and selected a place on the hill-side, where they caused huts to be erected, and in which they stationed the prisoners.
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This place has since been known as "Hessian Camp." The greater part of these huts were standing in 1841. 'The exact location was on an enclosed portion of land that lay between the Rose Valley Creek (at a point where the Mineral Spring Dam now is) and the " Hill Road " as now laid out. Then the trees were few in number and there was no road along the upper end of the camp.
Some of the Hessian prisoners at Reading, during the course of their imprisonment, were hired out to service, notably to George Ege at Charming Forge and to John Patton at Berkshire Furnace.
At the close of the Revolution, the Hessian pris- oners were returned by the British or satisfactorily accounted for, according to contract. It has been persistently stated as a tradition that many of these Hessians remained and settled in the county round- about Reading ; but in my opinion this is erroneous. They could not have remained here except as de- serters.
Hessian Camp Surprised .- The following interest- ing incident transpired at the Hessian camp on Christ- mas day, 1781. The Hessian prisoners and their guard were suddenly alarmed by certain soldiers in the disguise of Indians, which caused them to fly from the encampment. A court-martial was afterwards held, but no one was punished.
"Van Campen, whilst at McClure's Fort, which was on the Sus- quehanna River, above Sunbury, upon the service of conducting scouts around the line of the settlements, was ordered with his company to Lancaster, late in the fall of 1781. He descended the river in boats as far as Middletown (a place ten miles below Harris's Ferry), where the order was countermanded by another,
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directing him to march to Reading, Berks County, where he was joined by a part of the 3rd and 5th Pennsylvania Regiments, and a company of the Congress Regiment. Their principal duty, while here, was to take care of a large body of Hessians that had been taken prisoners with General Burgoyne. These had been under the guard of a company of militiamen, whose time had not yet expired. The march which Van Campen's soldiers had performed was, on account of lateness of the season and bad roads, extremely fatiguing, and, as the time for which the militia were engaged continued them in service a little longer, he allowed them the space which intervened as a season of rest. This proved grateful to the soldiers, and it no doubt served to invigorate their spirits, for in the approaching Christmas holidays, they were found to be sufficiently recruited to engage in the exercises of sport. Some of those belonging to Van Campen's company deter- mined to have a frolic with the militiamen before they should be discharged from their posts. These were stationed at a little dis- tance out of the village, near the direct road from Reading to Philadelphia, on the side of a hill, around which the way turned, and which hid the view to the road before reaching the place. When Christmas came, twelve or fifteen young soldiers set out, with music in their heads, for the militiamen's camp. Just be- fore they came to where the road turned around the hill, and while they were yet out of sight, they arrayed themselves in Indian dress and crept along up the ascending ground until they came in sight of the militiamen's camp. There they fired their guns, which contained an unusual charge of powder, and followed the discharge of these by loud and continued yells. They pre- sented themselves to the view of the soldiers, and began to jump from tree to tree so as to produce an enlarged idea of their num- bers. Their unexpected appearance produced the intended effect. The soldiers were startled by the sudden roar of the rifles, which echoed through the deep forest like the terrible thundering of cannon. The loud yells, too, from the supposed Indians, were enough to have startled them in a time of peace, much more when the savage was looked for at any moment to commit his deeds of violence. The soldiers conceived an instantaneous alarm ; fear was scattered throughout their ranks, and, with a sudden bound, they started from their encampment. The sentinels fled without firing a single gun and the whole company deserted their posts, leaving the poor Hessians (whom they were placed to guard) with- out a man to prevent their being retaken. But these, too, appre-
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hensive that they might be mistaken for rebels, were infected with the universal panic and showed their heels to the enemy. The camp was entirely deserted in a few moments after the first alarm had been given. No sooner had the militiamen deserted their camp than they began to spread the alarm, saying, 'that all Niagara was let loose ; that a party of several hundred Indians had attacked their camp, and that they had just escaped with their lives.' The intelligence was soon brought to the troops at Reading, who were immediately placed in the order of defence, and who began forthwith to march, with Van Campen at their head, towards the enemy. They had not gone far, however, be- fore they were met by some of their own soldiers, who assured them that they had started out upon a false alarm, at the same time giving them a history of the secret of the attack and of the brave defence which had been made by the militiamen. They returned to their quarters, very much amused and with the laugh upon the poor soldiers who had made such a display of their bravery.
"But this little event (which had been conceived only in sport, like many others of the same origin) was the occasion of serious difficulty. To one party it afforded the highest amusement, but, to those who had committed their valor to their heels, it was a subject of constant annoyance. They could not endure the cha- grin that was brought upon them by having been put to flight by a few boys who had been disguised as Indians, and who had so successfully played off their wits upon them of a Christmas holi- day. The militia officers, whose bravery was somewhat impli- cated in the affair, declared that they would be satisfied with no reconciliation short of the punishment of those who had been concerned in creating the alarm.
" A court-martial was held, in which Lieutenant Van Campen sat with the militia officers, to decide the point at issue. These affirmed it to be but right-that those who had occasioned the mischief should be whipped ; while Van Campen, whose soldiers were implicated, unwilling that his men (who belonged to some of the most respectable families of that part of Pennsylvania) should suffer such a disgrace, would allow of this only upon condition that the sentinels, who had fled from their posts without firing, should be punished as the martial-law required-with death. These terms were not agreeable to the minds of the officers, and' Van Campen, who declared that he would sooner see his men shot
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than whipped, continued to sit in court-martial for the space of three weeks. A compromise was finally made between the two, it being proposed that the sergeant, who had been one of the leaders in the affair, should be broken of his rank. This was allowed, and harmony was again restored between the two parties. The ser- geant was broken of his rank at night and restored the next morn- ing ; so that his punishment, after all, was more nominal than real. Immediately after, Van Campen and his men entered upon the care of the Hessian soldiers and remained in this service until the next spring, when they were relieved by the militia, who again took them under charge."
The foregoing extract was taken from the "Life and Adventures of Moses Van Campen " by his grand- son, John N. Hubbard, (published in 1841) pps. 239 to 243. Near the beginning of this extract he states that the Hessians at Reading had been taken pris- oners with Burgoyne. This is not correct. No pris- oners were taken in that important battle, October 17, 1777. The British Army surrendered to General Gates at Saratoga with the agreement that they "should march out with all the honors of war, and have free passage to England, upon condition that they should not serve again during the war."
Hessian Officer Drowned .- During the time that the Hessian prisoners were at Reading, a Hessian offi- cer of rank was fishing from a canoe one day in the Schuylkill, and fell overboard. A servant on the shore saw the accident, but, instead of alarming the occupants in a house near by, he ran and informed the commanding officer. When the officer arrived, he found the Hessian at the bottom of the river, drowned, and his efforts to resuscitate life were fruitless.
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