USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the Revolution, from 1774 to 1783 > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
"The foe are manifestly aiming either by force to conquer, or by stratagem and stolen marches to elude the vigilance of our brave commander, and declining a battle with our countrymen they have attempted to steal upon us by surprise. They have been hitherto defeated, but numbers are absolutely necessary to watch them on every quarter at once. The neighboring States are hurrying forward their militia, aud we hope by rising as one man, and besetting the foe at a distance from his fleet, we shall speedily enclose him like a lion in his toils.
"The Council therefore most humbly beseech and entreat all persons whatsoever to exert themselves without delay to seize this preseut opportunity of crushing the foe now in the bowels of our Country, by marching forth instantly under their respective offi- cers to the assistance of our great General, that he may be enabled to environ and demolish the only British Army that remains
193
REVOLUTION.
formidable in America or in the World. Animated with the hope that Heaven-as before it has done in all times of difficulty and danger-will again crown our righteous efforts with success, we look forward to the prospect of seeing our insulting foe cut off from all means of escape, and, by the goodness of the Almighty, the Lord of Hosts, and God of Battles, wholly delivered into our hands."
On the same day, the 5th and 6th classes of Philadel- phia were ordered out; the next day, every able-bodied man of Bucks County was ordered to turn out with his arms, &c., and "those who had no arms were to take with them axes, spades and every other kind of intrenching tools;" and on the 12th of September, the 3rd and 4th classes of Berks and Northampton, tlie 3rd of York, the 4th of Chester and the 2nd of North- umberland.
Proclamations for fasting, praise and thanksgiving, were issued in the Spring and Fall of each succeeding year from 1777 to 1783 by Council, in pursuance of special recommendations of Congress; also for victory over Cornwallis in 1781, and for peace in 1783.
I have not found any written or printed evidence that these proclamations were generally observed ; but an intimate association with many people in all the districts of Berks County in their homes and churches for thirty years, a study of their manners, customs and religious convictions as transmitted almost unchanged from generation to generation for over a hundred years, and extensive researches into the social and moral history of their ancestors have made me sufficiently acquainted to express the opinion that such appeals during the dark days of the Revolu- tion were thoroughly appreciated by them.
194
REVOLUTION.
CHAPTER XI.
COUNTY INCUMBENTS OF POSITIONS.
The following men from Berks County occupied the positions named, for the time stated, during the Revolution :
National.
Delegate in Continental Congress .- Edward Biddle, 1774-5 ; 1775-6; 1778-9.
Secretary of Board of War .- Edward Scull, May 16, 1778.
Surgeons .- Dr. Jonathan Potts, Dr. Bodo Otto.
Surveying Department .- William Scull, Jan., 1778 to Sept., 1779.
Deputy Quarter-Master General .- Jacob Morgan, Jr., Apr., 1778 to 1783.
State.
Delegates to Provincial Conference .- June 18, 1776 .- Jacob Mor- gan, Henry Haller, Mark Bird, Bodo Otto, Benjamin Spyker, Daniel Hunter, Valentine Eckert, Nicholas Lotz, Joseph Hiester, Charles Shoemaker.
Delegates to Constitutional Convention .- July 15, 1776 .- Jacob Morgan, Gabriel Hiester, John Lesher, Benjamin Spyker, Daniel Hunter, Valentine Eckert, Charles Shoemaker, Thomas Jones, Jr.
Members of Assembly .- Edward Biddle, 1774, "75, "78; Henry Christ, 1774, '75 ; Henry Haller, 1776; John Lesher, 1776 ; James Read, 1777; Benjamin Spyker, 1777; Sebastian Levan, 1777, "78, "79 ; Daniel Hunter, 1777, '78, '81 ; Balser Geehr, 1777, '80, '81 ; Jonathan Potts, 1778; Mark Bird, 1778, '80; Gabriel Hiester, 1778, "79, '81; Valentine Eckert, 1779; Christian Lower, 1779, '82, '83 : George Ege, 1779, '80, '82; Jonathan Jones, 1779; John Patton, 1780, '82 ; Thomas Mifflin, 1780 ; Joseph Hiester, 1780, '81; Benjamin Weiser, 1781; John Bishop, 1781 ; Daniel Clymer, 1782, '83; Abraham Lincoln, 1782, '83; Nicholas Lotz, 1782, '83; John Ludwig, 1782; John Rice, 1783.
195
REVOLUTION.
Edward Biddle was Speaker of the Assembly for the year 1774-5.
The representation of the county was as follows: Two for the years 1774 and 1775, and six for the remaining years.
The foregoing Representatives were elected the several years named for the term of one year.
Executive Councillors .- Richard Tea, (Iron master of Hereford township) was a Councillor for a time. He was elected in 1776, and served until April, 1777, when he resigned.
Jacob Morgan, Jr., was qualified on Sept. 3, 1777. He resigned April 4, 1778, upon accepting the appointment of D. Q. M. Gene- ral. On May 25, 1778, an order was drawn to him for £301, 5sh., for attending Council 180 days, including mileage.
James Read succeeded him, and was qualified on June 30, 1778. On Dec. 1, 1778, he received one vote for President of the Execu- tive Council. He resigned June 4, 1781, and on the 5th, was elected Register of the Court of Admiralty of Pennsylvania.
Sebastian Levan, of Maxatawny, was also a Councillor, and officiated from Oct. 31, 1781, to Oct. 15, 1784.
Wagon Master General .- Henry Haller, June, 1779, to Aug. 14, 1780. Jacob Morgan, Jr., Aug. 14, 1780, to 1783.
Superintendent of Commissioners of Purchases .- Jacob Morgan, Jr., Aug. 14, 1780, to 1783.
Register of Court of Admiralty .- James Read, June 5, 1781.
Prothonotary of Supreme Court .- Edward Burd, Esq., appointed Aug. 12, 1778. He continued until Jan. 26, 1786, when he was re-appointed.
County.
Committee on Correspondence .- July 2, 1774 .- Edward Biddle, James Read, Daniel Brodhead, Henry Christ, Christopher Schultz, Thomas Dundas, Jonathan Potts.
Committee on Observation .- December 5, 1774 .- Edward Biddle, Christopher Schultz, Jonathan Potts, William Reeser, Balser Geehr, Michael Bright, John Patton, Mark Bird, John Jones, John Old, Sebastian Levan, George Nagel, Christopher Witman, Jacob Shoemaker, James Lewis.
Colonels of Associated Battalions .- 1775 .-- Edward Biddle, Mark Bird, Daniel Brodhead, Balser Geehr, Christian Lower.
196
REVOLUTION.
Standing Committee .- 1775 .-- Edward Biddle, Mark Bird, Jona- than Potts, Daniel Brodhead, Balser Geehr, Collinson Read, Sec .. Valentine Eckert, Nicholas Lotz, Chairman, Sebastian Levan, Richard Tea.
Lieutenants of County .- Jacob Morgan, June 9, 1777, to 1780 : Valentine Eckert, Jan. 8, 1781, to 1783.
Sub-Lieutenants .- Henry Shoemaker, Christian Lower, Jr., Val- entine Eckert, Daniel Udree, Jacob Sweyer, John Mears.
Paymasters of County Militia .- Daniel Hunter, 1776 to Aug. 25, 1777; Henry Spyker, Aug. 26, 1777, to 1783.
Superintendent of Purchases .- John Patton, 1778.
Commissioners of Forage .- Valentine Eckert, 1778 ; John Lesher, 1778 ; Nicholas Lotz, 1780 to 1783.
In Oct., 1779, Col. Michael Lindemuth was appointed Commis- sioner to purchase flour for the French fleet.
Collectors of Excise .-- John Biddle, 1774 ; Daniel Levan, 1779-80 ; John Witman, 1780-81 ; Conrad Foos, 1782, 1783.
Waggon Master .- Henry Haller, 1778 to 1783.
Quarter-Master .-- Jacob Morgan, Jr., 1778.
Storekeeper at Reading -Joseph Cowperthwaite, 1778.
Local Committees .-- Owing to the aid given by divers inhabitants to the enemy, the Council in Sept., 1777, appointed committees to dispose of the property of such offenders and make return of their proceedings under oath. The following committee was appointed for Berks County : Thomas Parry, David Morgan, Peter Nagel, Henry Haller, Daniel Udree, Henry Spyker and Joseph Hiester.
This committee appointed two persons in each district to make provision for distressed families whose husbands and fathers were in service. The appointees for Reading were Henry Hahn and Peter Feather.
On Nov. 8, the Council also appointed committees to collect arms, clothing, etc., from the inhabitants who did not take the oath of allegiance, or who aided the enemy, and to deliver them to the clothier-general. The committee in Berks County was-Henry Christ, Henry Haller, Thomas Parry, Daniel Udree, Philip Miller, Nathan Lewis, John Lower, Godfrey Riehm, Jacob Seltzer and Nicholas Scheffer.
Committee on Attainder and Vesting Forfeited Estates .- 1778- Henry Haller, Thomas Parry, David Morgan.
197
REVOLUTION.
Auditing Committee .- Francis Richardson, Reynold Keene, Col- linson Read, James Biddle and Henry Haller were appointed January 23, 1777, commissioners for the county, to audit and settle the accounts for arms and accoutrements purchased, the property of persons lost in actual service, and of those who were killed, died in service, or were made prisoners.
Judges .- Peter Spyker, 1775-83 ; George Douglass, 1775-83 ; Bal- ser Geehr, 1775-83 ; John Patton, 1775-77 ; Jacob Morgan, 1775-77 ; Mark Bird, 1775-76 ; Jonathan Potts, 1776-77 ; Daniel Levan, 1777 ; Sebastian Zimmerman, 1778-83 ; William Reeser, 1778-83.
Peter Spyker was appointed President Judge of all the Courts on November 18, 1780.
Justices of the Peace .- 1777-Henry Christ, Reading; Jacob Shoe- maker, Windsor; James Read, Reading; Daniel Hiester, Heidelberg; Peter Spyker, Tulpehocken; Jacob Weaver, John Old, Amity; John Ludwig, Exeter ; Benj. Shott; Christopher Schultz, Hereford ; Samuel Ely, Richmond ; Jacob Wagoner, Bern; Daniel Rothermel, Maidencreek; Charles Shoemaker, Windsor; Egedius Meyer; Jacob Morgan, Caernarvon ; Thomas Parry, Union. 1778- Benjamin Weiser, Heidelberg ; Michael Lindemuth, Bern; Gabriel Hiester, Bern. , 1780-John Guldin, Oley.
County Commissioners -Samuel Hoch, 1775-76 ; Michael Bright, 1775-77 ; Abraham Lincoln, 1775-78 ; Christian Lower, 1777-79; John Kerlin, 1778-80 ; Adam Witman, 1779-81 ; Thomas Jones, 1780-82 : Thomas Parry, 1781-83: Daniel Messersmith, 1782-83; Michael Furrer, 1783.
Sheriffs .- George Nagel, 1775; Henry Vanderslice, 1776-77; Daniel Levan, 1778-79; Henry Haffa, 1780-81 ; Philip Kraemer, 1782-83.
Treasurers. - Christopher Witman, 1775-79; Daniel Levan, 1780-83.
Assessors .- The assessors appointed by the County Commissioners for the years named, were:
1776 .- Vernor Stamm, Michael Furrer, Paul Geiger, John Spohn, John Kerlin, John Egner.
1777 .- John Hartman, Michael Furrer, John Robinson, John Egner, George Kelchner, Joseph Sands.
198
REVOLUTION.
CHAPTER XII.
AFFAIRS AT READING.
PUBLIC PAPERS REMOVED FROM PHILADELPHIA.
When the Executive Council anticipated the inva- sion of the British Army into Pennsylvania, they re- garded the public papers and documents unsafe at Philadelphia, and therefore directed them to be re- moved to Reading. On December 4, 1776, they is- sued an order to James Biddle for £15 to pay the ex- pense of removal. I could not find any action of the Council directing their return. They were doubtless taken back to Philadelphia about 1778, after remain- ing here for over a year until the tide of warfare turned in favor of the Confederation.
SOCIAL CONDITION IN 1777.
Alexander Graydon lived at Reading for a time during the Revolution. In his "Memoirs" he men- tions the situation of social affairs during the Winter of 1777-78. The following interesting extracts are presented :
"The steady advance of the English upon Philadelphia dur- ing the Summer of 1777 had thrown the city into a great panic. Many persons went to Reading as a place of safety-the fugitive families having been estimated at a score or more. The ensuing Winter (1777-78) at Reading was gay and agreeable, notwithstand- ing that the enemy was in possession of the metropolis. The society was sufficiently large and select, and a sense of common
199
REVOLUTION.
suffering in heing driven from their homes had the effect of more closely uniting its members. Besides the families established in this place, it was seldom without a number of visitors, gentlemen of the army and others. The dissipation of cards, sleighing parties, halls, etc., were numerous. Gen'l Mifflin, at this era, was at home-a chief out of war, complaining, though not ill, consid- erably malcontent, and apparently not in high favor at head- quarters. According to him, the ear of the commander-in-chief was exclusively possessed by Greene, who was represented to be neither the most wise, the most brave, nor the most patriotic of counsellors. In short, the campaign in this quarter was stigma- tized as a series of blunders, and the incapacity of those who had conducted it was unsparingly reprobated. The better fortune of the Northern Army was ascribed to the superior talents of its leader ; and it began to be whispered that Gates was the man who should, of right, have the station so incompetently sustained by Washington. There was, to all appearance, a cabal forming for his deposition, in which it is not improbable that Gates, Mifflin and Conway were already engaged, and in which the congenial spirit of Lee on his exchange immediately took a share. The well known apostrophe of Conway to America, importing 'that Heaven had passed a decree in her favor or her ruin must long hefore have ensued from the imbecility of her military counsels,' was at this time familiar at Reading. And I [Graydon] heard him myself-when he was afterwards on a visit to that place- express himself to this effect; 'That no man was more of a gentle- man than Gen'l Washington, or appeared to more advantage at his table or in the usual intercourse of life ; but, as to his talents for the command of any army (with a French shrug), they were miserable.' Observations of this kind, continually repeated, could not fail to make an impression within the sphere of their circula- tion; and it may be said that the popularity of the commander in- chief was a good deal impaired at Reading.
"Among the persons who, this Winter, spent much time in Reading, was one Luttiloe, a foreigner, who was afterward arrested in London on suspicion of hostile designs ; also William Duer, who either was or lately had been a member of Congress. *
* There was a Major Stine, a Captain Sohbe and a Captain Wether- hold, of the Hessians, whom I sometimes fell in with. One old gentleman, a colonel, was a great professional reader, whom, on his application, I accommodated with such books of the kind as
200
REVOLUTION.
I had. Another of them, a very portly personage, apparantly re- plete with national phlegm, was nevertheless enthusiastically de- voted to music, in which he was so much absorbed as seldom to go ahroad. From that obsolete instrument, the harp, he extracted the sounds that so much delighted him. But of all the prisoners, one Graff, a Brunswick officer taken hy Gen'l Gates's army, was admitted to the greatest privileges. Under the patronage of Dr. Potts, who had heen principal surgeon in the northern depart- ment, he had been introduced to our dancing parties, and heing always afterwards invited, he never failed to attend. He was a young man of mild and pleasing manners, with urhanity enough to witness the little triumphs of party, without being incited to ill humor by them. Over hearing a dance called for, one evening, which we named "Burgoyne's Surrender," he ohserved to his partner that it was a very pretty dance, notwithstanding the name, and that Gen'l Burgoyne himself would he happy to dance it in such good company. There was also a Mr. Stutzoe, of the Brunswick dragoons, than whose, I have seldom seen a figure more martial, or a manner more indicative of that manly openness which is supposed to belong to the character of a soldier."
CONWAY-CABAL.
The "Conway-Cabal " was a secret movement by which it was intended to remove Washington and put Gates in his place. Conway spent the Winter of 1777- 78 at York, intriguing with Mifflin, Lee and certain members of Congress to bring about the removal of Washington. The correspondence between Gates, Mifflin and Conway, reflecting upon Washington, be- came known through the indiscretion of Wilkinson, who had seen one of the letters and repeated its pur- port to Stirling. The unfavorable impression pro- duced by this discovery was not removed when Gates, with some bluster, first demanded of Washington to know who had tampered with his letters, and then denied that Conway had written the letter whose
201
REVOLUTION.
words had been quoted. Mifflin had written to Gates, informing him that an extract from Conway's letter had been procured and sent to headquarters. This perplexed Gates and caused him to suspect that his portfolio had been stealthily opened and his letters copied, and in a state of mental trepidation lie wrote to Washington on the 8th of December, in which, among other things, he said : "I conjure your Ex- cellency to give me all the assistance you can in trac- ing the author of the infidelity which put extracts from General Conway's letter to me in your hands." Washington replied with characteristic dignity and candor on the 4th of January following,-saying, among other things :
"I am to inform you then, that Colonel Wilkinson, on his way to Congress in the month of October last, fell in with Lord Stir- ling at Reading and- not in confidence that I ever understood- informed his aid-de-camp, Major McWilliams, that General Con- way had written this to you : 'Heaven has been determined to save your country, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it.' Lord Stirling-from motives of friendship- transmitted the account with this remark: 'The enclosed was communicated by Colonel Wilkinson to Major McWilliams.' Such wicked duplicity of conduct I shall always think it my duty to detect."
Attempts to influence State legislatures proved equally unsuccessful, and when the purpose of the "Cabal" became known to the country and to the army, it met with universal condemnation.
It has been said that this "Cabal" was conceived at Reading, one tradition locating the place of meeting in a low one-story log building on the south side of Penn street, 60 feet above Eighth, (which was torn down in 1884), and another tradition in a two-story stone building
202
REVOLUTION.
on the south side of Penn street, 120 feet above Tenth, called for many years the "Fountain Inn." But these traditions are not correct. Conway was not at Read- ing but at York at that time. He visited Reading afterward. Wilkinson was on his way from Saratoga through Reading to York, where Congress was then assembled, with dispatches from Gen'l Gates concern- ing the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on the 17th of October. Accordingly, the people of Reading came to know of the surrender before Congress.
DUEL AT READING.
Col. Richard Butler's regiment was quartered at Reading during 1780-81. Most of its officers were very worthy men. It was commanded by Lieut. Col. Metzger, in the absence of the Colonel, who was not at Reading most of the Winter. Metzger was one of the very few foreign officers who were valuable to the colonists. There was a Capt. Bowen in the Regi- ment. He was recognized as an excellent officer ; but he had a warm temper which occasioned some dis- turbance at Reading about that time. On one occa- sion he took offense when none was intended, and on that account fought a duel with the major of the regi- ment. The duellists each fired a shot, and Bowen had a button shot from his coat. Their seconds then set- tled the matter between them. An investigation of the cause of the difficulty was then made. It ap- peared the major was walking with some girls on the night before, and they burst out laughing just after Bowen had passed them. Their laughter was caused
203
REVOLUTION.
· by the major telling them of his and Bowen's be- ing at a dance on the evening before, when the blind fiddler broke one of the strings of his fiddle and the landlady took a candle and held it for him while he was fitting a new string. This story even set the seconds to laughing and they all returned in good humor. Upon another occasion, soon afterward, while Bowen and Charles Biddle (who was then residing at Reading) were playing backgammon, at a certain place, Capt. Bower-an officer in tlie same regiment, came into the room and, addressing himself to Bowen, said : " I hope you are very well, Major." Bowen immediately started up and replied to him : "Don't major me, sir ! None of your majors ! You know I am not a major, sir ! What do you mean, sir?" Bower declared that he had not intended to give any offense. Bowen then took Biddle into an adjoining room and inquired if he should not challenge Bower. Biddle replied to him that "a man who would not fight on some occasions was not fit to live, nor was a man fit to live who was always quarreling." They returned, and Biddle made the captains shake hands, and so avoided a second duel. Bowen held the ap- pointment of Town-Major for a time.
PRE-REVOLUTIONARY BUILDINGS AT READING.
At Reading three buildings have been permitted to stand, though erected before the Revolution. The foundations and walls are the same, but the external appearance is changed. They are :
Farmers' Inn : Fifth and Washington streets ; erected as a two-story cut-stone building in 1760 by Michael Bright, and enlarged afterward.
204
REVOLUTION.
Federal Inn : Penn Square, two-story stone build- ing ; erected in 1763 and subsequently altered several times ; used as a bank since 1814.
County Jail: Fifth and Washington streets, two- story stone building, with high wall extensions ; erected in 1770 by County Commissioners. It was used as such until 1848, when it was sold and con- verted into a store.
Other prominent buildings during the Revolution, whose likenesses have been preserved, are the following:
Weiser Store Building : East Penn Square, two- story stone building ; erected in 1750 by Conrad Weiser ; destroyed by fire in 1871.
First Reformed Church: Washington and Reed streets, large stone structure; erected in 1761; torn down in 1832.
County Court House : Penn Square, two-story cut-stone building; erected in 1762 ; torn down in 1841.
Friends' Meeting House : Washington above Fourth street, one-story log building ; erected in 1765 and torn down in 1868.
Trinity Lutheran School Building : Sixth and Washington streets, one-story stone building ; erected in 1765 ; torn down in 1893.
During that time, there were three churches at Reading : Trinity Lutheran, Washington below Sixth ; First Reformed ; and Friends'. These were the churches that were used for hospital purposes.
1
REVOLUTION.
205
CHAPTER XIII.
CONCLUSION.
INDEPENDENCE AND PEACE.
The surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, was virtually the end of the war between Great Britain and America. The news of the surrender reached London on the 25th of November, following. Several months afterward, the warfare in the American Colonies was discussed and its continui- ance discouraged in the House of Commons, a resolu- tion having been passed, declaring that they who advised the continuation of the war were enemies of their country. These discussions were continued with earnestness till they culminated in a preliminary treaty of peace on November 30, 1782. In the first article of this treaty, "the independence of the thir- teen United States of America" was recognized. The treaty was not made final then, owing to the three allied powers-Great Britain, France and Spain -having been pledged to one another not to conclude a treaty except by common consent ; and the consent of France and Spain was to be obtained. This occa- sioned further delay and obliged the United States to await the adjustment of the differences between then. The final treaty of peace was concluded at Paris on September 3, 1783, and thereby the United States were acknowledged to be "free, sovereign and inde- pendent."
206
REVOLUTION.
During these two years of negotiation and delay there were no general military operations. But great anxiety was felt over the prospects for a permanent peace. Through the inactivity of the army, the offi- cers and soldiers became restless ; also discontented, because they were not rewarded for their patriotic services. An attempt was made by anonymous and seditious publications to inflame their minds and to induce them to unite in redressing their grievances whilst they had arms in their hands. But Washington succeeded in quieting them. His wisdom and elo- quence elicited from the officers the unanimous adop- tion of a resolution by which they declared "that no circumstances of distress or danger should induce a conduct that might tend to sully the reputation and glory they had acquired ; that the army continued to have unshaken confidence in the justice of Congress aud their country ; and that they viewed with abhor- rence and rejected with disdain the infamous propo- sition in the late anonymous address to the officers of the army."
RETURN OF THE SOLDIERS.
In order to avoid the inconveniences of dismissing a great number of soldiers in a body, furloughs were freely granted. In this way a great part of the un- paid army was disbanded and dispersed over the States without tumult or disorder. As they had been easily and speedily formed out of farmers, mechanics and laborers in 1775, so with equal facility did they throw off their military character and resume their former occupations. They had taken up arms earnestly for
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.