USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 18
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Every community had a weaver, who con- ducted his business at his home. He wove car- pets and coverlets (plain and fancy) and linen and cotton stuffs for domestic use. He did not carry a large stock on hand ; he manufactured articles to order.1 And so withother trades.
Fulling-mills, paper-mills, oil-mills and distil- ling-mills were conducted for cloths, paper, oil and whiskey, but they were limited in capacity.
STATISTICS OF MANUFACTURES OF COUNTY, 1870 AND 1880 .- Two tables are introduced for the years 1870 aud 1880. The statistics were taken from the Census Reports of the United States :
) Furnished by James M. Swank, vice-president of American Iron and Steel Association.
z A net ton consists of two thousand pounds.
1 County industries are described in the districts where they were or are situated. Full statistics of county pro- ductions were not ob ainable,
13
9
Hands employed
3,048
$890,926
$5,631,985
EARLY AND GENERAL INDUSTRIES.
103
MANUFACTURES OF BERKS COUNTY, 1870 .*
MANUFACTURES.
Estah- lish- ments.
Hands employ'd
Capital invested.
Wages.
Material.
Products.
Agricultural implements
10
64
$66,050
$27,329
$29,810
$85,675
Boats ..
3
121
59,500
46,470
106,401
155,801
Boots and shoes.
11
177
70,900
60,150
89,622
170,417
Brass founding, etc ..
1
13
28,000
7,020
6,730
25,000
Bread and bakery products.
3
13
3,100
5,528
10,090
19,291
Bricks
29
386
191,160
81,416
97,915
260,110
Brooms, etc
7
26
7,350
1,910
4,495
14,300
Carpets (rag).
13
27
2,775
4,423
14,160
25,175
Carpets (other than rag)
2
16
5,500
2,525
8,900
12,400
Carriages and wagons ..
54
185
67,950
40,846
44,064
137,233
Cars (freight and passenger)
1
20
10,000
6,000
75,000
106,500
Charcoal.
3
14
350
2,850
22,336
32,000
Clothing (men's).
59
307
88,375
54,647
137,143
228,801
Coffins ...
2
8
5,500
2,240
8,400
18,924
Confectionery
2
6
6,000
1,800
5,860
13,000
Cordage and twine.
1
46
100,000
10,000
114,800
145,600
Cotton goods.
5
341
198,400
77,450
175,574
299,550
Fertilizers.
2
12
22,000
5,200
29,125
37,500
Flour-mill products
63
154
557,550
29,555
1,127,265
1,308,233
Furniture.
37
130
50,475
27,013
35,904
93,668
Gas
1
12
150,000
8,300
24,533
72,471
Glue ..
2
17
12,000
2,880
8,972
14,000
Hats and caps.
16
432
391,188
177,460
458,299
951,880
Hubs and wagon material ..
2
19
13,500
5,600
5,410
20,328
Iron (blooms).
3
16
62,500
5,133
40,415
59,220
forged and rolled.
19
1027
2,199,659
581,260
2,196,684
2,983,755
bolts, nuts, etc ..
2
26
110,000
13,564
52,309
71,000
nails, etc.
3
140
180,000
66,250
288,472
383,500
wrought, tubes, etc.
1
241
750,000
108,410
437,206
569,634
pigs.
17
1244
2,378,600
332,945
1,415,166
2,041,025
castings
12
421
505,500
171,283
348,888
616,609
stoves, heaters, etc.
38
113
180,765
26,191
281,499
348,564
39
74
111,525
15,777
250,961
314,831
Lime.
57
172
86,450
34,878
96,433
185,979
Liquors (distilled).
2
9
22,000
3,025
28,689
92,520
(malt).
5
66
421,000
36,720
150,715
257,679
Lumber (planed).
1
26
70,000
15,000
28,000
50,000
(sawed)
15
46
43,200
11,000
43,250
85,666
Machinery (not specified).
6
68
72,990
23,090
14,480
68,750
(engines and boilers).
1
6
40,000
5,000
34,100
50,000
Marble and stone work (not specified). (tombstones)
18
63
40,135
16,171
18,428
50,322
Masonry ( brick and stone).
18
125
690
19,630
44,488
99,900
Millinery .
8
31
8,820
3,200
7,275
15,320
Oils (vegetable and linseed).
1
13
30,000
4,000
21,400
55,000
Paper (not specified). (printing)
3
50
68,000
15,000
76,488
129,679
Saddlery and harness ..
33
85
18,500
13.773
26,652
56,859
Sash, doors and blinds
6
130
56,500
61,417
112,852
211.861
Scales and balances
1
9
25,000
3,600
9,375
15,300
Stone and earthenware.
13
49
72,431
15,345
10,601
54,125
Tin, copper and sheet-iron ware.
33
95
59,985
18,502
47,381
101,961
Tobacco and cigars.
38
282
89,500
49,910
86,198
196,543
Woolen goods ..
13
227
197,780
57,473
158,795
285,435
Total
1414
8991+
$11,182,603
$2,711,231
$10,646,049
$16,243,453
3
71
121,000
40,340
55,002
101,950
Leather (tanned). (curried)
3
112
95,500
40,600
42,350
107,640
Malt
3
20
16,000
9,900
18,200
31,500
3
6
8,500
1,140
20,750
24,900
* For year 1860 : Number of establishments, 679 ; hands employed, 5,009; capital investod, $5,829,440 ; wages, $1,313,568 ; material, $4,268,210 ; products, $6,821,840.
t Males above sixteen, 7,671 ; females above sixteen, 701 ; youths, 619.
104
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
MANUFACTURES OF BERKS COUNTY, 1880.
MANUFACTURES.
Estab- lish- ments.
Hands employ- ed,
Capital invested.
Wages.
Materiale.
Products.
.
Agricultural implements.
9
84
$99,812
$24,668
$17,880
$71,993
Boots and shoes.
4
70
74,600
17,730
54,280
78,017
Boxes (cigar)
4
17
10,950
5,180
25,750
45,450
Bread and bakery products.
30
89
41,800
26,137
78,023
147,280
Brick and tile ..
25
316
216,570
51,978
87,297
197,269
Brooms and brushes
9
29
8,128
7,375
16,600
38,900
Carpets (rag)
8
47
6,300
10,476
12,650
32,243
Carriages and wagons ..
12
88
51,800
26,096
39,000
87,200
Clothing (men's)
33
217
102,091
45,334
134,777
209,512
Confectionery .
8
27
20,100
7,600
28,400
49,600
Cordage and twine.
1
28
50,000
7,200
50,000
75,000
Cotton goods ..
1
226
150,000
38,445
83.334
125,175
Flouring and grist-mill products.
155
174
789,300
34,229
1,320,305
1,522,821.
Foundry and machine-shop products.
21
867
762,265
304,749
546,044
1,049,648
Furniture
28
116
125,625
36,709
69,441
178,383
Hardware.
4
619
422,363
182,562
188,241
579,789
Jron and steel
33
3048
5,365,118
1,123,946
5,409,091
7,73,0,512
Jron forgings
1
43
40,000
16,816
58,113
76,792
Iron pipe (wrought)
1
700
1,000,000
240,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
Leather (curried)
23
40
69,747
12,988
155,381
192,840
Leather (tanned)
29
101
241,833
22,802
270,831
362,211
Liquors (distilled)
3
6
45,000
2,500
25,500
38,500
Liquors (malt)
7
80
577,000
43,580
214,791
390,520
Lumber (sawed).
36
47
48,540
6,665
44,173
79.830
Marble and stone work.
14
44
87,087
14,040
50,000
96,600
Mixed textiles.
2
106
15,167
35,485
72,417
149,936
Paints
1
13
70,000
5,600
72,000
80,000
Paper
4
115
90,000
28,833
157,198
213,551
Printing and publishing.
12
202
230,900
63,909
66,845
173,800
Saddlery and harness.
24
31
22,705
8,700
18,565
40,835
Shoddy
1
7
25,000
1,400
20,000
32,000
Spectacles and eye-glasses
1
117
100,000
35,000
15,000
60,000
Tin, copper, and sheet iron ware.
44
80
101,015
26,472
53,890
104,095
Tobacco, cigars, etc.
61
406
167,840
77,493
221,612
380,091
Woolen goods
10
192
114,167
51,966
· 171,760
288,692
Wool hats
17
891
662,500
248,987
818,704
1,385,026
Total
1044
10008*
$12,522,140
$3,077,919
$13,026,331
$20,143,164
* Hands employed : males above sixteen, 8,307 ; females above fifteen, 890 ; youths, 811.
CHAPTER VIII. FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
Military Periods-Cause of War-Officers, Supplies, etc .- Colonial Forts-Burd's Journal-Invasion of County by Indians-Numerous Letters on Sufferings of Early In- habitants-Peace Declared-Persons Murdered, Taken Prisoners and Missing.
MILITARY PERIODS. - Like every other country, ours has also its military periods. They are very interesting to us, and the interest is not of an ordinary kind. Its nature is more or less thrilling. Nothing iu the progress of our country is more so. Our growth in popu- lation and wealth, its fluctuations from different causes, losses by storm and fire, and death by
famine and pestilence, awaken in us great interest. As we advance step by step in our researches, from interest we grow into eagerness, and from sympathy we are carried into a sort of terror at the wonderful power of an apparently inex- plicable and uncontrollable law. But when we get beyond the agency of natural forces, study the actions of man against man, tribe against tribe or nation against nation, incited by inter- est or hate in the onward movements of our social organization, and see that at times they result in war, bloodshed and death, our interest becomes intense and thrilling sensations move us into inexpressible pity or revenge.
The citizens of Berks County participated in the following five wars, in which our country
Shirts
3
21
5,400
5,180
12,700
23,800
105
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
was engaged during its eventful history, from the beginning till now: French and Indian War, 1755 to 1762 ; Revolution, 1775 to 1782 ; English War, 1812 to 1815; Mexican War, 1846 to 1848 ; War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865.
At present we have a strong feeling of secu- rity in the enjoyment of life and property. This is a great blessing. It is both inspiring and en- nobling. It conduces to the persistent direc- tion of labor in the various channels of indus- try, and to the development of our general life as a free people. This feeling did not exist one hundred and thirty years ago. Then, for some years, our people were in constant alarm and great dread of loss and death. Our county or- ganization had just been established after re- peated efforts in the Colonial Assembly running through a number of years. Before this the pros- pects for rapid improvement were bright and promising. But these prospects were darkened by a cruel foe. The inhabitants had confidence in themselves, but they needed protection. The colonial government was weak. It could not extend its power effectively over the entire State. They were, therefore, discouraged. Driven by dread, and suffering from loss, they were obliged to petition the Governor for pro- tection. In pursuance of their petitions, forts were erected along the Blue Mountain, and small detachments of soldiers were stationed in them to guard the neighboring settlers from the atrocious cruelties of the Indians. Formerly the Indians and settlers were on the most friendly terms. They associated and dealt with each other in the most satisfactory manner. The change from friendship and peace to hate, revenge and war was most surprising. It was produced by the wicked misrepresentations of the French, and terminated in what is known in our history as the "French and Indian War."
CAUSE OF WAR .- Whilst the Penns were endeavoring to locate a town on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill at the "Ford," war was being carried on between England and France, and the treaty of Aix-la-chapelle was formed between them in the same year in which the town was laid out. But this treaty of peace did not settle the controversy between them in
respect to territory on the American continent. The English colonies were originally planted along the sea-coast. But they advanced west- wardly. The English, therefore, claimed the right to extend their settlements across the con- tinent, from ocean to ocean. The French, how- ever, had possessed Canada to the north and Louisiana to the south. They, too, claimed the intervening territory which lay along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Both parties claimed the same country, and, in order to maintain their respective rights, they "rushed into a fierce and bloody war for lands which belonged to neither, and which, in twenty years after the termination of hostilities, passed away from both and became vested in a new power whose national existence, by a mysterious Providence, in a great measure, grew out of their conten- tions."1 It was accelerated by a large grant of six hundred thousand acres of land in that dis- puted territory by the English to certain per- sons who associated under the title of the " Ohio Company." This great company agitated a scheme for the settlement of the land .granted to them, which alarmed the French. Remonstrances and complaints having proved fruitless, each party seized and plundered the subjects of the other ; and hostilities ensued which resulted in the defeat of Braddock in the western section of the province in 1755.2
The Indians, having united with the French through misrepresentation, and finding the fron- tier open, proceeded eastwardly to recover and repossess the territory which had formerly been theirs, and out of which they believed they had been swindled.3 On their way they committed
1 Ramsay's " History of United States," 276.
2 The declaration of war was published at Easton by the Governor, on the 30th of July, 1756, and at Philadelphia in August following. It was issued by King George on the 17th of May, 1755. See 2 Penn. Arch., 735.
8 In a message to the Executive Council on the 3d of November, 1755, Governor Morris said, -
" This invasion was what we had the greatest reason to believe would he the consequence of General Braddock's defeat and the retreat of the regular troops, and had my hands been properly strengthened, I should have put this province into such a posture of defence as might have pre- vented the mischiefs that have since happened.
" It seems clear, from the different accounts I have re- ceived, that the French have gained to their interest the
14
106
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
depredations and cruelties which resulted in a great loss of life and property. Notwithstanding forts were erected by the provincial govern- ment along the Kittatinny Mountain, from the Delaware to the Susquehanna, to afford pro- tection to the settlers in the vicinity, and were
Delawares and Shawanese Indians under the ensnaring pretense of restoring them to their country, their intimate knowledge of which will make them dangerous enemies to the colonies in general, and to this in particular."
The Governor doubtless founded his opinion upon the following report which was made to him by a committee of three persons (Robert Strettell, Joseph Turner and Thomas Cadwalader), who had been appointed to make a full in- vestigation for the purpose of ascertaining the causes that occasioned the defection of the Indians :
"And wefurther beg leave to remind your honor, that, at one of the conferences held with Scaroyody, one of the Six Nation chiefs, and Andrew Mountour, in the council chamber, they being particularly asked if the Delawares or Shawanese had any cause of complaint given them by this government, they declared that those Indians never men- tioned any to them, and that they never heard or did be- lieve they had any ; but that they attributed their de- fection wholly to the defeat of General Braddock, and the increase of strength and reputation gained on that victory by the French, and their intimidating those Indians and using all means by promises and threats to seduce and fix them in their interest, and to the seeming weakness and want of union in the English, and their appearing unable or unwilling to protect them, and particularly this govern- ment, who had constantly refused to put the hatchet into their hands ; and we beg leave to say we are entirely of opinion that this is the true and sole cause of their de- fection."
Teedyuscung, the chief of the Delawares, referred to this treaty with the Indians at a meeting in Easton, June 28, 1762, in a speech to Governor Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, and Sir William Johnson, of New York, when he said,-
"At a treaty held here : about six years ago I made a complaint against the proprietors and charged them with depriving us of our lands by forgery and fraud, which we did at a time when we were just come from the French, by whom we were very much incensed against our brothers, the English. This matter was afterwards, by our mutual consent, referred to the great King George over the waters, who directed you, brother, to enquire into the cir- cumstances of the case and make a report to him that he might see what was just therein.
"You have taken the trouble to come for this purpose, and many days have been spent in this affair. It now ap- pears, by sundry old writings and papers which have been shown by the proprietary commissioners and read at this conference, that the said charge of forgery was a mistake, into which mistake we were led by the accounts we had re- ceived from our ancestors concerning the lands sold by Maykerikishe, Sahoppey and Tahaughsey to old Wil- liam Penn in the year 1686."
garrisoned with twenty-five companies, compri- sing one thousand four hundred men, they even crossed the mountain and carried their wickedness, arson and murder into the counties adjoining. Berks County was entered. Nu- merous persons, including men, women and children, were killed, and many dwellings and barns were burned. This naturally spread consternation throughout the county. The settlers along the mountain fled and abandoned home and property. The enemy extended their incursions to a point near Reading. The in- habitants of the town became alarmed for their safety. They armed and organized themselves to defend the town, and even marched to the mountain to assist in driving the cruel foe out of the county. Many letters have been pub- lished which describe the wretched state of the people who lived in the townships to the north and west of the town.
The cruelties of the Indians and the unsettled condition of the inhabitants of the upper sec- tion of the county continued during the years 1755, 1756 and 1757. During these years the English were unsuccessful in their campaigns against the French and Indians. Their affairs here were in an alarming situation. Their efforts had produced only expense and disap- pointment. But in 1758 the tide turned in their favor through the vigorous administration of a new leader, William Pitt. The Indians retreated and victory crowned the British armies everywhere during the succeeding years till 1760, when the French were dispossessed of all the territories in dispute aud forced to surren- der Canada. Peace was declared in 1763.
The town of Reading had just been fairly started when this terrible shock fell upon the inhabitants. Though discouraged, they did not abandon their new settlement and its bright prospects, as the settlers were forced to do along the mountain. They remained, they perse- vered, they succeeded. It is probable that the unsettled condition of affairs during that period in the townships bordering on the mountain, which arose from the incursions and cruelties of the Indians, contributed much towards the rapid growth of the town.
The Friends, through Christopher Sauer,
107
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
the publisher of a German newspaper, at Ger- mantown, induced the German settlers to co-operate with them. They persuaded them to believe that the Provincial Council intended to enslave them, enforce their young men to become soldiers and to load them down with taxes. These representations induced the Ger- mans to travel to Philadeiphia from all parts in order to vote, and they carried all the elections. Almost to a man, the Germans refused to bear arms in the French and Indian War.
OFFICERS, SUPPLIES, ETC., IN COUNTY .- The provincial military officers of Berks County in 1754 were: Lieutenant-Colonel, Con- rad Weiser ; Captains, Christian Busse (at Fort Henry), Frederick Smith, Jacob Orndt, Jacob Morgan (at Fort Lebanon) ; Lieutenant, Philip Weiser ; Ensigns, - Harry (at Fort Leb- anon), Edward Biddle ; Sergeant, Peter Smith; Corporal, - Schaeffer.
Weiser was lientenant-colonel of the Second Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment, which consisted of nine companies. This was a por- tion of the troops which were ordered by the Governor and provincial commissioners to be raised for the purpose of repelling the invasion by the Indians, the total force to comprise twen- ty-five companies, numbering fourteen hundred men. Of the nine companies under Weiser, one and one-half companies were at Fort Henry, and one company was at Fort Williams.
In March, 1756, an independent company of grenadiers, in General Shirley's regiment, was stationed at Reading on duty. Upon re- ceiving orders to march to New York, twenty- five men, under the command of a lieutenant, were ordered to Reading to remain on guard till further orders.
In June, 1756, the town was occupied by a company of men, under the command of Con- rad Weiser. It was composed of two sergeants and twenty-eight privates. Shortly before, an independent company of grenadiers, from General Shirley's regiment, had been stationed here on duty. The ammunition at Reading then consisted of twenty-five good muskets, twenty-five muskets out of repair, eleven broken muskets, nine cartridge-boxes, two hundred and forty pounds of powder, six hundred pounds
of lead. In August, 1757, " fifty men, from Cumru and other townships near Reading, set out in expectation of bringing in some Indian scalps."
In February, 1758, Fort Williams was gar- risoned by Captain Morgan and fifty-three men ; and Fort Henry was garrisoned by Captain Busse with eighty-nine men, and Captain Wei- ser with one hundred and five men; and Fort Augusta with eight companies, numbering three hundred and sixty-two men.
The whole number of men receiving pay then in the province was one thousand two hundred and seventy-four.
In June, 1758, Berks County had in the ser- vice fifty-six good and strong wagons. Each wagon was completely furnished with four able horses and an expert driver. These wagons were formed into two divisions,-the first division containing twenty-six wagons, and the second thirty wagons. A deputy wagon-master, ap- pointed by Colonel Weiser, was over each divi- sion. Their names were John Lesher and Jacob Weaver, who were reported to be free- holders and able to speak the English and Ger- man languages and to understand smith and wheelwright work.
In 1761 the inhabitants of Tulpehocken and Heidelberg townships raised one hundred and fifty men as rangers to guard the county lines of Berks and Lancaster Counties.
The following is from a return of troops, commanded by Major Asher Clayton, stationed on frontiers of Lancaster, Berks and Northamp- ton Counties, dated June 1, 1764:
In Berks County.
At Fort Henry, Bethel township, Captain John Philip De Haas; one sergeant, eighteen men.
(Conrad) Rehrer's, Bethel township, Lieutenant Christopher Seely ; fourteen men.
Christopher Young's, Tulpehocking township, En- sign William Wild [Wiles]; one sergeant, thirteen men.
Kauffman's Mill, Bern township, Captain Jacob Kern; one sergeant, fourteen men.
Hagabaugh's, Albany township, Lieutenant John Sitzhoupt ; fifteen men.
John Overwinter's, Albany township, Ensign George Nagle; twelve men.
- , Bern township; one sergeant, ten men.
108
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
-- , Heidelberg township, Captain Nicholas - Houssegger, Ensign William McMean; one sergeant, twenty-six men.
COLONIAL FORTS .- When the officials of the provincial government learned that the Indians and French had united for the purpose of co- operating against the English on this continent, they decided to afford protection to the settle- ments near the frontiers by the erection of forts ; and the number of settlers who had gone beyond the Blue Mountains till this time having been small, they determined to locate these forts along this natural boundary line from the Delaware on the east to the Susquehanna on the west.1 The object of these forts was simply for refuge, as places to which the inhabitants could retreat when danger was imminent. They were erected hastily to serve a temporary pur- pose. Unfortunately for the people, they were too few in number and too far apart to serve the purpose for which they were intended, especially to those who were somewhat removed. The Indians did not march over the mountains in large numbers together, and they did not attack the forts. They came quietly and in small par- ties. Without any warning they fell upon the unprotected families like a thunderbolt, and af- ter murdering men, women and children indis- criminately and setting fire to dwellings and barns, they departed like a flash. And their success in these wicked incursions was truly wonderful.
The following forts were erected in the terri- tory which was embraced in Berks County, the first four having been along the Blue Moun- tain, and the last at Shamokin (now Sunbury) : Fort Henry, Fort Dietrich Snyder, Fort North-
1 In 1758, the location and distances were reported to be as follows :
Miles.
From Wind Gap to Doll's Block-House. 20
Thence to Fort Leychy. 8
¥
" Fort Allen. .10
" Block-House 20
" Fort Everit.
10
" Fort Williams .12
" Fort Henry 22
" Fort Swatara. .14
66 " Fort Hunter, on Susquehanna. .24
Total distance 140
kill, Fort Lebanon, Fort Franklin and Fort Augusta.
Fort of 1754 .- The house within the stock- ades was built of logs, and often crowded uncom- fortably by the neighboring inhabitants in times of danger. The stockades were logs, about eighteen feet long, cut in the woods where the forts were built, and planted in the ground as closely as possible. They were intended to protect the house and prevent the Indians from shooting its occupants when they stepped out of the house.
Fort Henry was situated in Bethel township, in what was, and still is, commonly known as " The Hollow," about three miles north wardly from the present village of Millersburg, some fifty yards to the east of the "Old Shamokin Road," which leads over the mountain. The spot was somewhat elevated, to enable the guard to look out some distance in every direction. There is no particular mention of this fort in the Colonial Records, which omission induces the belief that it was a fort erected by the people of that vicinity for their protection. It was sometimes called "Dietrich Six's," doubt- less because it stood on the land of Dietrich Six. The records mention several times that the people fled to Dietrich Six's, but the place was not indicated as a military post. The field where it was situated has been under cultivation for many years. Not a single mark remains to indicate where it stood. It was erected some time before June, 1754.
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