USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the Revolution, from 1774 to 1783 > Part 12
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In Nov., 1777, in pursuance of orders received, 350 wagons were sent from Berks County to Philadelphia ; also, a wagon master- general and wagon masters. When they reached Philadelphia, the enemy had left, and the wagons got nothing. Twenty were taken into service. The men returned and demanded pay. Henry Christ, Jacob Shoemaker and John Ludwig requested the Execu- tive Council to forward money for this purpose. The sum re- quired was between $2500 and £3000.
Council, in writing to Gen'l Potter on Nov. 7, 1777, from Lan- caster, as to a supply of muskets from the several counties, stated : "Berks, we dare say, will not be behind. Col. Morgan has been successful heretofore. Bucks and the two other older counties, [meaning Philadelphia and Chester] are less under notice here."
Jan. 15, 1778 .- Congress ordered 8000 barrels of flour to be de- posited at or near Reading.
Jan. 30, 1778 .- The county was ordered to furnish 50 wagons for immediate service of the army as her quota of 280 wagons.
In 1778, the supplies at Reading were large and valuable ; and then Congress requested the State to station 200 militia at this point to defend the magazines of military stores, and keep communications secure from sudden incursion of the enemy. The Executive Council made sueh an order.
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Feb. 10, 1778 .- Col. Lutterloh reported to Gen'l Washington that he found a considerable quantity of clothing collected at Reading, waiting for an order to be sent forward.
Feb. 18, 1778 .- Berks County was ordered to furnish a quota of 32 wagons.
Feb. 20, 1778 .- Ordered that the sum of £24,000 be sent by Col. Jacob Morgan to Valentine Eckert and John Lesher for pur- chasing supplies; also an order to the treasurer for £150 for recruit- ing, etc.
Feb. 20, 1778 .- Col. Joseph Cowperthwaite, of Lancaster, was appointed storekeeper at Reading. He had been colonel of the 5th Battalion of Pennsylvania troops for a time.
May 18, 1778 .- The quota of tax levied from Berks County for the year 1778, for the purposes of war, was £16,544.
By the correspondence of James Young, the Wagon-Master-Gen- eral of Pennsylvania, it appears that he was stationed at Reading from February to May in 1778. In March, he reported the wagons of the county as constantly employed in carrying flour and forage to the Schuylkill, and thence the articles were transported by water, because then the roads were almost impassible with loaded wagons. Col. Lutterloh, the Quarter-Master-General of Washing- ton's Army, was stationed at Reading with Mr. Young during March, and was ill for a time.
Sep. 27, 1778 .- A quota of 110 wagons was ordered from Berks County to carry provisions from Philadelphia to New Windsor without delay.
June 11, 1779 .- A warrant was issued to the Wagon Master of Berks County to supply 60 wagons ; and on October 16, following, 30 wagons.
In June 1779, Col. Jacob Morgan, Jr., addressed a letter to the Ex- ecutive Council in which he stated that he had sent into service 36 good Continental teams and 54 spare horses; also a brigade of 12 teams properly equipped. And prompted by a hopeful, enthu- siastic spirit, he concluded the letter by adding: "There shall not be an idle horse in the county that is fit for the service. I made myself so bare that I put all the public riding horses into teams and one of my own. I am determined that neither man nor horse that is in the public service shall eat idle bread in this county. I think we should now exert ourselves, as I am in hopes this will be the last campaign."
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July 13, 1779 .- Col. Jacob Morgan, Jr., was required to purchase and forward immediately to Philadelphia 500 barrels of flour for the use of the officers of the Continental Line.
In April, 1780, the Executive Council was directed by Gen'l Washington to furnish the State out of the supplies at Reading, with the following articles : 200 barrels of flour ; 560 gallons of rum ; 180 tons of hay ; and 14,000 bushels of corn.
Col. Nicholas Lotz, as commissioner of forage, reported on June 5, 1780, that he had purchased 40 tons of flour, 172 bushels of oats and 19 bags ; and on June 19th, he reported the purchase of 10 head of cattle and 40 sheep, which he was obliged to take un- der the law. Cattle and sheep he reported to be scarce. because many butchers and drovers had come from Philadelphia and other places and bought them up. On June 21st, an order for £1000 was drawn in his favor for expenses in purchasing cattle for the use of the army ; and on the same day a demand was made for 40 wagons from Berks County.
The quota of articles, etc., from Berks County to the State in July, 1780, was-600 barrels of flour per month ; 600 bushels of forage per month ; 20 wagons and 200 horses; and 300 militia ; and there having been a great want of teams in the army then, a requisition was made on the county to furnish 20 wagons.
It was reported to Council on Aug. 12, 1780, that Col. John Pat- ton, by agreement with Capt. Joy, agreed to supply the Board of War with 90 tons of shell and shot ; for which purpose he put his Berkshire Furnace in blast. He was then at work ; but how long he would continue he could not tell because his workmen were not exempted from military duty. Then they were ordered out, and unless they were released he could not keep his works going. He had some Hessian prisoners employed. These were demanded from him ; and If they were not returned, his bond was to be put into suit.
June 22, 1787 .- The Executive Council ordered Nicholas Sweyer to be paid £48, 10sh. for transporting military stores from Oley Furnace in Berks County to Philadelphia in 1781, pursuant to a resolution of the Assembly, September 20, 1781.
Sept. 16, 1789 .- Conrad Riehl was paid £9, 10sh. for 16 days' service in collecting and conducting a brigade of wagons to Read- ing for public service in November, 1781, by order of the Wagon Master-General.
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By the foregoing orders and returns of supplies col- lected, it appears that the county furnished 512 wag- ons and 48 teams. Each wagon had a team of six horses, and was in charge of two men. Accordingly, there were also at least 1100 men from the county in this important branch of service in the Revolution.
SUPPLIES TAKEN IN OLEY IN 1778.
John Lesher, a prominent iron master of Oley, ad- dressed a letter to the Executive Council on January 9, 1778, in reference to supplies for the army that were forcibly taken from him, and, in order to present the general situation that then existed throughout the county as to inconvenience and loss sustained by the people, it is introduced in this connection :
"I conceive it to be my duty to acquaint you that I am no more master of any individual thing I possess, for, besides the damages I have heretofore sustained by a number of troops and Continental wagons in taking from me 8 tons of hay, destroyed apples suffi- cient for 10 hhds. of cider, eating up my. pasture, burning my fences, etc., and 2 beeves I was obliged to buy at 1sh. per pound to answer their immediate want of provisions, and at several other times since I have supplied detachments from the army with pro- visions. There has lately been taken from me 14 head of cattle and 4 swine, the cattle at a very low estimate to my infinite dam- age, as they were all the beef I had for my workmen for carry- ing on my iron works. I had rather delivered the beef and re- served the hides, tallow, etc., but no argument would prevail, all must be delivered to a number of armed men at the point of the bayonet. As my family, which I am necessitated to maintain, con- sists of near 30 persons, not reckoning colliers, wood cutters and other day laborers, my provisions and forage being taken from me, my forge must stand idle, my furnace (which I am about carrying on) must of consequence be dropt, which will be a loss to the pub- lic as well as myself, as there is so great a call for iron at present for public use, and some forges and furnaces must of necessity fail for want of wood and ore.
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" The case in this neighborhood is truly alarming, when the strongest exertions of economy and frugality ought to be practiced by all rauks of men, thereby the better to enable us to repel the designs of a daring Enemy who are now in our Land. It strikes me with horror to see a uumber of our own Officers and Soldiers wantonly waste and destroy the good people's properties ; by such conduct they destroy the cause they seek to maintain. Instead of judicious men appointed in every township, or as the case may require, to proportion the demauds equal according to the circum- stauces of every farmer and the general benefit of the whole, these men, under the shadow of the bayonet and the appellation Tory, act as they please, our wheat, rye, oats and hay taken away at discretion and shamefully wasted and our cattle destroyed. I know some farmers who have not a bushel of oats left for seed, nor beef sufficient for their own consumption, while some others lose nothing-as a man who has 100 head of Cattle lost not one. Such proceedings I think to be very partial. Many farmers are so much discouraged bv such conduct that I have heard several say they would neither plow nor sow if this takes place. The consequence may be easily foreseen, unless some speedy and effectual method be taken to put a stop to such irregular proceed- ings, and encouragement and protection extended to the good peo- ple of this Commonwealth. I shudder at the consequence. I humbly submit the whole to your serious consideration."
MASTS FOR THE U. S. NAVY.
During August, 1780, Captain Dennis Leary was engaged on the land of Jaines Wilson, Esq., along the river Schuylkill, some thirty miles north of Reading, superintending the cutting of masts for the Navy of the United States, where workmen were employed in that business, but he and the men were hindered by depredations of the savages. He informed Council "that masts suitable not only for our ships but for those of our illustrious Ally may be cut in that quar- ter ; that, in fact, a number of very fine masts are cut, ready to be hauled to the river, and that many more may be procured if protection should be afforded to
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the workinen." A company of 50 or 60 men was asked for this purpose.
RECEIPT BOOK OF COL. LOTZ.
In 1893, I saw the receipt book of Col. Nicholas Lotz in which receipts were taken for moneys paid from August 12, 1780, to December 5, 1781. The total amount was $202,033. Some of the items were reckoned in pounds, shillings and pence, but the most of them were in dollars. In this we have undoubted evidence that the county performned her whole duty in the struggle. A great part of the amount was paid in currency, which was never redeemed, whereby he and others suffered great losses.
PROMINENT INDUSTRIES.
Twelve prominent iron industries were carried on successfully in the county during the Revolution. They were situated in the four sections of the county, along strong streams of water, as follows:
Furnaces.
Oley, in Oley, on Manatawny Creek.
Mt. Pleasant, in Colebrookdale, on West Branch of Perkiomen. Hopewell, in Union, on French Creek.
Berkshire, in Heidelberg, on tributary of Tulpehocken Creek.
Reading Furnace is frequently taken as of Berks County, but it was situated in Chester County not far from the Berks County line.
Forges.
Pine, Spring and Oley in Douglass, District, and Oley, on Mana- tawny Creek.
Mt. Pleasant, in Colebrookdale, on West Branch.
Bird's, in Robeson, on Hay Creek.
Gibraltar, in Robeson, on Allegheny Creek.
Moselem, in Richmond, on Ontelaunee Creek.
Charming, in Tulpehocken, on Tulpehocken Creek.
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Iron Masters .- The iron masters, who were the proprietors of the foregoing industries, were Mark Bird, John Patton, John Lesher, David Potts, John Old, Daniel Udree, George Ege and Christian Lower. The assessed value of the property of these men in the different sections of the county amounted to a very large sum in the aggregate, showing that they were in a situation to contribute a strong influence towards the successful prosecution of the war for the Revo- lution. They supplied the Continental Government with cannon balls, cast iron and wrought iron in var- ious shapes, and they co-operated heartily in the great social movement for representative government. Their assistance was of the greatest consequence and cannot be overestimated. We can take great pride in the fact that the county then possessed such enterprising, pub- lic-spirited and patriotic mcn.
Other Industries .- There were other industries that are equally worthy of mention, such as numerous grist mills, saw mills, gun factories, wheelwright shops and blacksmith shops. These were also situated along the strong streanis in different sections of the county and rendered great assistance to Congress and the Council. Nicholas Lotz, Sebastian Levan and Daniel Brodhead were three extensive millers, and Valentine Eckert and Christian Lower were two influential blacksmiths, who identified themselves prominently in the public affairs that related to the Revolution. Knapsacks and gun barrels were made in different parts of the county. And numerous energetic, hopeful and persistent farmers con- stituted the very foundation of the public welfare.
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PRICES DURING THE REVOLUTION.
Prices in October, 1776. .
Linen, per yd. 12sh. Wood, per cord. £2
Shoes, per pr
15
Meat, per lb
10d.
Salt, per bu. 25 " The prices of articles generally
Pork, per quarter 13 “ were two and three times what
Butter, per lb
they were before 1775.
In 1777.
Prices in October, 1777, as fixed by the Commissary General :
Wheat, per bu. Ssh., 6d. Pork, per 100 lb .. .$7 and $8 Rye 8sh., 6d. Whiskey, per gall .... 8sh., 6d.
Indian Corn, per bu. 6sh., 6d. Hay, per ton. 1st crop, £7, 10sh.
Beef, per 100 1b $10 66 2nd .. .. £6
Other Prices.
Salt, per bu. . ... £10 and £15 Potatoes, per bu 16sh. Cord Wood, per cord ..... 65sh. Chickens, apiece .. .10sh.
When the Committee was appointed on November 8, 1777, to collect clothing, arms, etc., the articles taken were to be appraised as follows :
New single blanket. £3.
In proportion for inferior kinds.
Strong, large, well-made shoes, per pr. .25sh.
Good yarn stockings, per pr. . 22sh., 6d.
Good well-manufactured cloth, & yd. wide, per yd 30sh.
Good linsey woolsey, 1 yd. wide, per yd. 15sh. Good linen for soldiers' shirts, 1 yd. wide, per yd 15sh.
Good tow linen, per yd 8sh.
The Committeemen were allowed 20sh. per day for every day employed in performing their duty.
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In 1780.
Col. Nicholas Lotz, as Commissioner of Purchases for Berks County, addressed a letter to the Executive Council, dated at Reading, June 5, 1780, in which the prices of certain articles at that time appear. They were as follows :
Corn, per bu 5sh., 6d. Flour, per cwt. 3sh., 9d. 30sh. Oats,
Hay, per ton 80sh.
Buckwheat, per bu. .4sh.
He assured the people that the merchants would take the new money at the same rate as specie ; and that the money would be received in taxes at one for forty of the present currency. He offered for hauling 2sh. per ton per mile ; 5sh. for each bag, and 3sh. for each cask; which were the lowest prices payable in gold or silver.
PAY OF MEN IN SERVICE.
The estimated strength of a regiment in the Conti- nental service in 1776, and the pay of the officers and men, according to a resolution of Congress in October, 1776, were as follows :
Pay. Rations.
Pay. Rations.
Colonel ..
$75
6
Adjutant
40 3
Lt .- Col.
60
5 Q. Master. 27₺ 2
Major 50 4
40
3
Surgeon Mate. 18
1st Lieut. 27
2
Sergt. Major 9
1
2nd Lieut 27
2
Drum Major. 9
1
Ensign 20
2
Fife Major 9
Regt. Q. M 40
3
Q. M. Sergt 9
Chaplain. . 33} 2
Surgeon 33 3 Captain
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Each company was required to have, in addition to the officers enumerated, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 1 drummer, 1 fifer and 76 privates.
The allowance for each private was $1 per week, and for each commissioned officer on recruiting service $23. Lieutenants of county, $12 per diem ; Sub-Lieutenants, $10.
Each company consisted of 90 men, including officers, and each regiment of eight companies, altogether numbering 733 men.
CONTINENTAL PAPER MONEY.
During the progress of the Revolution, the Govern- ment of the United States was conipelled to resort to the emission of "bills of credit " with which to pur- chase army supplies, etc., and to satisfy the demands of carrying on the war. Gold and silver were not then known to exist in the country in any quantity equal to the demands of the war, nor could they be procured. Direct taxation, though practicable, was deemed impolitic. The only plausible expedient in the power of Congress was the emission of bills of credit, which were to represent specie under a public engagement of redemption through taxation, or of ex- change for gold or silver. This practice had been familiar from the first settlement of the colonies ; and, under proper restrictions, it had been found highly advantageous. Congress, therefore, resolved, in June, 1775, to emit such bills to the amount of two millions of dollars ; in July, ordered a million more, and in November, three millions more ; and for their redemp- tion, Congress pledged the Confederated Colonies. Subsequently other emissions were made ; and such was the animation of the times, that these several emissions, amounting to twenty millions, circulated
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for some time without any depreciation, and coin- manded the resources of the country for public service equally with gold or silver. For a considerable time the Government derived much benefit from this paper creation of their own, though it was without any established funds for its support or redemption. Whilst the ministry of England were puzzling themselves for new taxes and funds on which to raise supplies, Con- gress raised theirs by resolutions, directing paper of no intrinsic value to be struck off in the form of promissory notes. But there was a point both in time and quantity beyond which this process ceased to operate ; that time was about eighteen months from the date of first emission and that quantity twenty inillions. The rulers thought it still prema- ture to urge taxation, and they, therefore, resorted to the expedient of further emissions. The ease with which the means of procuring supplies were furnished by simply striking off bills of credit and the readiness with which the people received them, prompted Con- gress to multiply them beyond the limits of prudence, and a depreciation of their value was the unavoidable consequence.
At first, this depreciation was scarcely perceptible, but it increased daily, till finally the currency became worthless. It began at different periods in different States ; but in general about the middle of the year 1777, and then increased progressively for several years. In the latter part of 1777 it was two dollars in cur- rency for one in specie; in 1778, five for one; in 1779, twenty-seven for one; in 1780, fifty for one. After 1780, the circulation was limited to certain
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localities ; but where the currency passed, it depre- ciated to one hundred and fifty dollars for one. In Pennsylvania, the Executive Council resolved, as late as February 1, 1781, that Continental money should be received for public dues at the exchange of seventy- five dollars in currency for one in specie. But an Act provided that after June Ist, following, only specie or equivalent bills of credit should be received for taxes or other public dues ; and this rendered the currency worthless in the State. This extraordinary deprecia- tion brought great loss to many of the people who had aided the Government in the grand struggle for free- dom. In this respect the soldiers suffered most. The people of Reading, and especially of the county, met with considerable losses thereby. Some of them had large quantities which were transmitted for some time until lost or destroyed. It was not redeemed.
In the issue of this paper money, certain prominent men were selected from the different sections of the several colonies for the purpose of signing the issues. James Read, of Reading, was selected to sign the Con- tinental notes; and on April 7, 1781, John Patton, of Heidelberg, was selected to sign the issue of the Penn- sylvania currency for £500,000.
Col. Henry Haller, of Reading, was selected by the Executive Council, on June 14, 1779, to solicit sub- scriptions in Berks County for the loan of twenty inil- lion dollars by Congress.
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CHAPTER X.
PROCLAMATIONS FOR THE FAVOR OF GOD.
During the Revolution, proclamations were rec- oinmended by Congress, requesting the people to pray for the favor of God, and to co-operate for success in the cause of free government. These public expressions indicate the high degree of re- ligious faith which existed during that period. They are worthy of great praise and admiration. The com- position, arrangement of ideas and selection of words are superb. Studying them carefully, I am led to say that the existence of this spirit amongst the people, especially as influenced and encouraged by men in political power, was a factor whose importance cannot be fully measured at this time. Without it, I question whether the movement of the disconnected colonies, scattered so far from one another, with little prepara- tion for such a hazardous undertaking against a well- organized and powerful nation, could have been suc- cessful; but with it, the people generally were inspired with hope, confidence, perseverance, determination and courage, elements that were highly necessary in warfare, and these led them onward through the most adverse circumstances to victory.
First Recommendation for Prayer .- The first rec- ommendation for this purpose was made by Congress on December 11, 1776, in the words following :
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" Whereas, The just war into which the United States of Amer- ica have been forced by Great Britain is likely to be still continued by the same violence and injustice which have hitherto animated the enemies of American freedom.
" And Whereas, It becomes all public bodies, as well as private persons, to reverence the Providence of God and look up to Him as the Supreme Disposer of all events, and the Arbiter of the Fate of Nations ; therefore the Congress hereby Resolve-
"That it be recommended to all the States, as soon as possible, to appoint a day of solemn fasting and humiliation, to implore of Almighty God the forgiveness of the many sins prevailing among all ranks, and to beg the countenance and assistance of His Prov- idence in the prosecution of this just and necessary War. The Congress do also, in the most earnest 'manner, recommend to all the members of the United States, and particularly to the Officers, Civil and Military, under them, the exercise of repentance and reformation ; and further do require of the said officers of the Military Department the strict observation of the Articles of War in general, and particularly that of the said Article which forbids profane swearing and all other immoralities, of which all such officers are desired to take notice. It is left to each State to issue Proclamations, fixing the day that appears the most proper for their several bounds."
In pursuance of this Recommendation, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania appointed Thurs- day, the 3rd day of April, 1777, for the said purpose, and issued a Proclamation accordingly on March 7, 1777. An order was made that it be published in all the newspapers, English and German, and that 500 copies be printed, (300 in English and 200 in German) and forwarded by the earliest opportunity to the dis- tant parts of the State.
Appeal for Support in Warjare .- When intelligence was received that the British were moving towards Philadelphia in September, 1777, the Executive Coun- cil issued the following earnest appeal to the people and caused it to be published :
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A Proclamation.
"The time is at length come in which the fate of ourselves, our wives, children and property must be speedily determined. Gen'l Howe, at the head of a British Army, the only hope and last re- source of our enemies, has invaded this State, dismissing his ships and disencumbering himself of his heavy artillery and baggage, he appears to have risked all upon the event of a movement which must either deliver up to plunder and devastation this Capitol of Pennsylvania and of America, or forever blast the cruel designs of our implacable foes.
" Blessed be God, Providence seems to have left it to ourselves to determine whether we shall triumph in victory and rest in free- dom and peace, or, by tamely submitting or weakly resisting, de- liver ourselves up a prey to an enemy, than whom none more cruel aud perfidious was ever suffered to vex and destroy any people.
"View then, on the one hand, the freedom and independence, the glory and happiness of our rising States, which are set before us as the reward of our courage. Seriously consider on the other hand the wanton ravages, the rapes and butcheries which have been perpetrated by these men in the State of New Jersey, and on the frontiers of New York. Above all, consider the mournful pros- pect of seeing Americans like the wretched inhabitants of India stripped of their freedom, robbed of their property, degraded be- neath the brutes and left to starve amid plenty, at the will of their lordly masters, and let us determine once for all that we will Die or Be Free.
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