History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 27

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 27

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Peter Weiser (grandson of Conrad Weiser), second lieutenant First Pennsylvania Continental Line; wounded and captured at Germantown.

Jacob Weisler, Reading, private, German Regiment Pennsylvania Continental Line, October, 1776.

George Whitman, private, from Rifle Regiment to First Pennsylvania Continental Line ; re-enlisted 1776; discharged July, 1781; resided in Berks County in 1813.

Jacob Michael Wilhelm, private, Armand's . Legion, Continental Line.

Henry Willhausen, Reading, private, Von Heer's dragoons, Continental Line, April 1, 1780.

Thomas Williams, private, First Pennsylvania Conti- nental Line; died in Berks County, 1792.

Jacob Wirtz, private, Fifth Pennsylvania Continen- tal Line; resided in Berks County, 1835, aged seventy-seven years.

Peter Withington, captain, Twelfth Pennsylvania Continental Line, October 1, 1776; took sick in Philadelphia, December, 1776, and sent home to Reading and died May 11, 1777.

William Witman, second lieutenant, Ninth Penn- sylvania Continental Line, February, 1777 ; shot. through the body with a musket-ball at German- town; taken prisoner and paroled; left out in arrangement in 1778; resided in Berks County in 1789; died October 12, 1808.

Michael Youse, private, from Lowdon's company in Thompson's Rifles to First Pennsylvania Conti- nental Line, 1776-83; resided in Maxatawny, Berks County, 1817.

Henry Ziegler, Reading, private, Von Heer's dra- goons, Continental Line.

CONSCIENTIOUS SCRUPLES AGAINST WAR .- A meeting of deputies of divers inhabitants of the county, who were conscientiously scrupulous against bearing arms, was held at Reading, on September 1, 1775. They passed certain reso- lutions, which, briefly stated, were as follows :

1. Agreeing to voluntary subscriptions for the uses pointed out by the recommendations of the Assembly, on June 30, 1775, and of the Continental Congress, on July 18, 1775.

2. Ordering accounts of moneys received and ex- pended to be kept by a treasurer.

3. Submitting the moneys to the disposal of the Committee of Safety as a part of the share to be ac- counted for by Berks County.

4. Agreeing to answer requisitions on them by the Committee of Safety.

These resolutions were signed by Wm. Reeser, as president of the meeting. On September 11, 1775, he sent a copy of them to the Committee of Safety, stating in his accompanying letter that they were conscientionsly scrupulous of taking up arms, though fully sensible of the justice of our canse, but that they were willing to contribute to its support. 'He acknowledged to have received in hands the sum of one hun- dred and fifty-two pounds for the Committee of Safety, and assured the committee that they would ever cheerfully contribute their propor- tion towards the safety and welfare of the public.

On the 20th of January, 1776, the people of the county were asked by the Committee of Safety to sign the Articles of Association.1

TORY FEELING IN COUNTY .-- About this time it would seem that certain persons in the county possessed the " Tory " feeling, and, under its influence, endeavored to depreciate the "Con- tinental currency." Two men were apprehended for doing this, but they were discharged, having, on 30th of January, 1776, at Reading, publicly acknowledged their error, begged the pardon of the community and promised to conform to the rules and regulations that existed. Their ac- knowledgment was then published "so as to deter others from following the same shameful and wicked practice." 2

1 8 American Archives, 795.

2 4 American Archives, 887.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGLISH PRISONERS AT READING .- The Committee of Correspondence at Reading ad- dressed a letter to the Pennsylvania delegates in Congress, dated 4th of February, 1776, in which they stated that " a number of English soldiers, lately taken prisoner in Canada, ar- rived at Reading with their wives and children. The committee were surprised at the arrival of so large a party by order without notice to them, and withont any attending person to supply them with necessaries ; but they immediately appointed Henry Haller one of the committee to provide houses, firewood and provisions for the party, who must have otherwise suffered much at this severe season." They asked Con- gress for instruction. In this communication they recommended that Haller be retained as the commissary for the soldiers stationed at Read- ing.

Some months afterward, 10th of July, 1776, Congress ordered that the privates who were prisoners in the town of Reading should be re- moved to Lancaster.

A number of prisoners of war were stationed at Reading in September, 1776. Their conduct and late hours excited the citizens to such an extent that a meeting of the committee of Berks County was called on 3d of September, and resolutions were adopted praying the Council of Safety to require the prisoners to disarm themselves and to repair to their respective lodgings at a seasonable hour-eight P.M. every evening. Captain John Witman, Thomas War- ren and Michael Graus were appointed to take possession of the fire-arms, etc .; and, on the 4th, Daniel Rose, Philip Kremer and Krauff Hüner were appointed to assist. On the 5th they reported that General Prescott had refused to deliver up his pistols until he had first bro- ken and rendered them useless, and that he had declared they acted like robbers. He admitted his conduct. The committee resolved that he had misbehaved himself, and " that he be com- mitted to the Common Goal till the opinion of the Council of Safety be known." James Reed, chairman, reported this action to the Council, and made request that "a Guard be kept as a security from any attempts which may be made by the prisoners in our present de-

fenceless situation." The Council heard the matter on the 10th of September, and ordered guard to be kept as long as the prisoners re- mained, at the Council's expense.1

James Read wrote to the Council of Safety, on December 27, 1776, the letter having been induced by the delivery at Reading of seven prisoners from Northampton County,-

" Reading, being the nearest place, we, who have al- ready more prisoners (French and Scotch) than we have men-at-arms (old and young together) in this place, shall have all the Tories that Northampton 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, bur- thened. 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. We have heard that a Hospi- tal 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."

ASSOCIATORS .- A Provincial Conference was held at Carpenter's Hall, in Philadelphia, dur- ing June (18 to 25), 1776, for the purpose of taking the necessary steps towards the forma- tion and adoption of a Constitution for the gov- ernment of Pennsylvania.2

In the proceedings of this conference provi- sion was made " for raising 4500 militia, in obe- dience to resolutions of Congress of the 3d and 4th of June, 1776, for establishing a flying camp, to consist of 10,000 men, in the middle colonies," and a direction given for the prepara- tion aud publication of an address to the Asso- ciators of the province on this subject. The ad- dress was as follows :

" To the Associators of Pennsylvania.

" GENTLEMEN,

"The only design of our meeting together was to put an end to our own power in the province, by fix- ing upon a plan for calling a convention, to form a government under the authority of the people. But the sudden and unexpected separation of the late As-

15 Pa. Arch., 19. For a list of the names of the prison- ers, see 1 Pa. Arch. (2d ser.) 424 ; certified by James Read, to Council of Safety, on October 11, 1776.

2 For delegates from Berks County, see chapter on Gov- ernment.

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REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.

sembly has compelled us to undertake the execution of a resolve of Congress for calling forth 4500 of the militia of this province, to join the militia of the neighboring colonies, to form a camp for our imme- diate protection. We presume only to recommend the plan we have formed to you, trusting that, in a case of so much consequence, your love of virtue and zeal for liberty will supply the want of authority del- egated to us expressly for that purpose.

"We need not remind you that you are now fur- nished with new motives to animate and support your courage. You are not about to contend against the power of Great Britain, in order to displace one set of villains to make room for another. Your arms will not be enervated in the day of battle with the reflec- tion that you are to risk your lives or shed your blood for a British tyrant ; or that your posterity will have your work to do over again. You are about to con- tend for permanent freedom, to be supported by a government which will be derived from yourselves and which will have for its object, not the emolument of one man or class of men only, but the safety, liberty and happiness of every individual in the community. We call upon you, therefore, by the respect and obedience which are due to the authority of the United Colonies, to concur in this important measure. The present cam- paign will probably decide the fate of America. It is now in your power to immortalize your names by ming- ling your achievements with the events of the year 1776 -a year which, we hope, will be famed in the annals of history to the end of time, for establishing upon a last- ing foundation the liberties of one-quarter of the globe.

" Remember the honor of our colony is at stake. Should you desert the common cause at the present juncture, the glory you have acquired by your former exertions of strength and virtue will be tarnished ; and our friends and brethren, who are now acquiring laurels in the most remote parts of America, will re- proach us and blush to own themselves natives or in- habitants of Pennsylvania.

" But there are other motives before you. Your houses, your fields, the legacies of your ancestors, or the dear-bought fruits of your own industry, and your liberty, now urge you to the field. These cannot plead with you in vain, or we might point out to you, further, your wives, your children, your aged fathers and mothers, who now look up to you foraid, and hope for salvation in this day of calamity only from the in- strumentality of your swords.

" Remember the name of Pennsylvania-Think of your ancestors and of your posterity.

"Signed by an unanimous order of the conference, " THOMAS M'KEAN, President.

" June 25, 1776."

A letter from the Committee of Berks County was laid before the Board, and the same being considered, and it being therein represented to this Board that

some misrepresentation of the intention of Congress has arisen amongst the Associators of this State and the Officers who were appointed to form the Flying Camp, with respect to the March and Arrangement of the Associators and militia who were to compose the said Camp, and in order that it may be better understood, it is,-

" Resolved, That all the Militia who may be fur- nished and equip'd agreeable to the Resolve of Con- gress do march to such place as they have been respectively ordered by Congress, and that the per- sons who have been appointed Captains in the Flying Camp and have not Inlisted 25 men for that service, do return them to their respective Corps of Associa- tors to which they formerly belonged, and continue with them; the appointment of the officers for the Flying Camp still to continue, and the men already enlisted to be considered as bound by their enlist- ment, and to be continued in service when the militia may be permitted to return, and subject to further orders of the Convention or this Board. And it is further recommended that those Companies which have been raised to form the Flying Camp, which already consists of 25 privates and upwards, do im- mediately proceed to Trenton or Brunswick, as here- tofore directed.

" Resolved, That this Board will allow the Officers who were appointed to command the Flying Camp all such reasonable expenses as have accrued in the recruiting service.

The Following Letter was written to the Com- mittee of Berks County, and signed by the Chair- man :

" Gent'n :

"Your letter, 22d Inst., to the Hon'ble B. Franklin, Esq", Presid't of the Convention, was re- ferred by the Hon. Convention to the Council of Safety. They must acknowledge the Landable zeal with which your Committee has, at all times, carried into execution the recommendation of such powers as acted under the People; But, particularly, your ready & cheerful Obedience to the ordinance of Convention for disarming of non-Associators.

"The embarrassments you Labor under in conse- quence. of Resolves of Congress and others, which, from the confused state of the times, appeared some- what Contradictory, appears to us excusable. In order to render the intentions of Congress more plain & Comprehensive and to their expectations, The Council of Safety have inclosed you their resolution upon the matter, requesting that you will take such Measures to publish it through your district as will be most Effectual & Expeditious, and that you would encourage the Associators to turn out on this very important Immergency.

" By order of Council of Safety. " 24 July, 1776."

154

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRIGADIER-GENERALS ELECTED .- A pub- lic meeting was held at Lancaster on July 4, 1776, for the purpose of electing two brigadier- generals to command the battalions and forces in Pennsylvania. The meeting consisted of the officers and privates of fifty-three battalions of the Associators of Pennsylvania. A full ratio of men was sent by the military of Berks Connty. The following delegates represented the county at the meeting :

First Battalion : Officers-Major, Gabriel Hiester ; Lieutenant, Philip Cremer; privates, John Hartman, Peter Filbert.

Second Battalion : Officers-Colonel, Mark Bird ; Major, John Jones; privates, David Morgan, Benja- min Tolbert.

Third Battalion : Officers - Lieutenant-Colonel, Nicholas Lutz; Captain, George Rheam ; privates, Henry Spoon, Matthias Wenrich.

Fourth Battalion : Officers-Major, Michael Linde- mut; Captain, George May ; private, Mich'l Moser.

Fifth Battalion : Officers-Colonel, John Patton; Lieutenant-Colonel, John Rice; privates, Jacob Sel- ser, Christ'n Winter.

Sixth Battalion : Officers-Major, Conrad Leffler ; Lieutenant, John Miller; privates, John Hill, Henry Lark.

Seventh Battalion : Officers-Colonel, Sebastian Le- van ; Adjutant, Samuel Ebey; privates, Philip Bis- ters, Casper Smack.

Colonel Mark Bird, of the Second Battalion, was one of the judges of the election. Daniel Roberdeau was elected the first brigadier-general, and James Ewing the second. Mark Bird received seven votes. Eight candidates were placed in nomination.

QUOTA OF COUNTY EXCEEDED .- The Com- mittee of Correspondence of Berks County ad- dressed a letter to Congress, dated 13th of July, 1776, in which they stated that they had raised a company more than the quota of the county for the Flying Camp of four thousand five hun- dred men, in order to complete the battalion, concluding as follows : " Our conduct is dictated by the warmest attachment to the cause of our country, and we trust it will be considered in that light by the honorable Congress." 1

PATRIOTISM OF JOSEPH HIESTER .- Among the many men of Reading who were actively engaged in the Revolution, Joseph Hiester oc-

cupies a prominent position. When the excite- ment began, which disturbed all the elements in the community, he was a young man, twenty- three years of age. But he was not too young to rally to the call of the country for indepen- dence. He was first selected as one of the dele- gates of the county to the Provincial Conference, which was held at Carpenter Hall, in Phila- delphia, during June, 1776; and this confer- ence, in its proceedings, provided for raising certain militia to form a part of the " Flying Camp," and ordered an address to be issued to the Associators. Upon the adjournment of the conference, he carried the spirit, which had been developed there, back to Reading and acted promptly in behalf of the provision for troops to constitute part of the "Flying Camp." On July 10, 1776, he called together, by beat of the drum, twenty-five or thirty of his fellow-citi- zens and asked them to take into consideration the alarming state of the country. He ex- plained the situation and said that there was a necessity for action.

Having aroused their patriotism, he expressed a desire to raise a company of volunteers and march with them to the assistance of General Washington, who was then in a perilous situa- tion in New Jersey. He was listened to with great respect. At the conclusion of his remarks he said (laying forty dollars in money on a drum-head) : " I will give this sum as a bounty and the appointment of a sergeant to the first man who will subscribe the articles of associa- tion to form a volunteer company to march forth with and join the commander-in-chief ; and I also pledge myself to furnish the company with blankets and necessary funds for their equipment and on the march."

Matthias Babb was the first to step forward. He took the money from the drum-head after signing the articles. This example induced twenty others to sign also. Notices were sent out into the neighborhood and meetings were held. In ten days afterward Hiester had en- rolled ninety-six men. They were promptly organized. This success led him to determine to raise a regiment. His liberality and popu- larity paved the way for promotion to the highest office over these troops that were to be

1 1 American Archives (5th Series), 254.

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REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE.

raised. Notwithstanding their preference for him, he used all his influence for the election of Henry Haller to the office of colonel, and Edward Burd, major. This he did at their request. He assured his fellow-soldiers that he was satisfied to serve as captain, and even de- clared a willingness to serve in the ranks if he could there better serve the country. He then marched his company from Reading to New Jersey, and they became a part of the Flying Camp in the regiment commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Nicholas Lotz.

At Elizabethtown they learned that General Washington had marched to Long Island. Some of his company, and the company commanded by Captain Graul, declared their determination not to march any farther, and said that they had proceeded farther than they could have been compelled to go. He called the men into line and addressed them in bold, impassioned patri- otic language, and asked them to fall in with him and march forward to join Washington and fight for freedom. All responded nobly excepting three. When the drums began to beat and the men to march, these three could not resist the feeling, and they, too, joined. They then marched to Long Island. There some were killed and others wounded. The concentration of the British troops resulted in the capture of many of the American troops. As prisoners they were treated with great cruelty. Along with other officers, Hiester was confined for six weeks on board of the prison- ship " Jersey." Thence he was removed to another prison-ship. Shortly afterward he was confined on board of the ship "Snow Mentor," and there similar bad treatment was inflicted upon him. He became very sick with fever, and very weak under such imprisonment, so feeble indeed that he was compelled to crawl on hands and knees to get up and down-stairs. Whilst there he was plundered of all his clothing and money. He was exchanged in December, and then returned to Reading. During his imprisonment he was elected a major, and upon his return home he was elected a colonel. He received both commissions at the same time. At home he soon recovered his wasted strength. Feeling it his patriotic duty, he left home and

friends and rejoined the army of General Wash- ington in Philadelphia (now included in Mont- gomery County), remaining with his troops until his term of service expired, when he returned home. Soon afterward an attack on New York was apprehended. General Joseph Reed com- manded the Pennsylvania troops. In sending out circulars for troops, he sent one to Colonel Hies- ter asking him to raise volunteers for service. Hiester responded promptly, raised six hundred and fifty men and joined Reed's army in New Jersey. For this patriotic action Reed gave him a highly complimentary recognition. He remained in the army until the close of the war, and, after his honorable discharge, returned home. His unselfish conduct and his devotion to the country in the great struggle for freedom made him a most popular man and prepared the way grandly for him in his successful political life in after-years.1

BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND .- Eight bat- talions of Pennsylvania troops in the "Flying Camp " were sent to the army at New York. Three of them were incomplete, and of these, two were composed of Berks County militia, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonels Nicholas Lotz and Peter Kachlein. Lotz's major was Edward Burd, and his colonel was Henry Haller, of Reading, who did not join the army till after the opening of the campaign. The commands of Lotz and Kachlein comprised each two hundred men and were in Stirling's brigade. On the 24th of August, 1776, Wash- ington was in doubt as to the intentions of the enemy. He found the British sixteen thousand strong, but they had been estimated at only eight thousand. He ordered more reinforce- ments over on the Brooklyn side, and among these was Lotz's command. The battle of Long Island was fought on August 27, 1776. In the engagement part of Lotz's command, un- der Major Burd, was stationed at the coast- road, at and around the "Red Lion Tavern." Burd was at the lower road with Hand till he was relieved. The British in numbers exceeded the Americans on the island three to one. The ad-

1 Taken partly from correspondence in United States Ga- zette, 1832; and see Rupp's "History of Berks County," pp. 176-179.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

vance-guard of the British, under Grant, marched up the Narrows and struck the Amer- ican pickets in the vicinity of the "Red Lion " about two o'clock in the morning. The pickets retreated before the enemy without checking their march. There was hardly more than an exchange of fire with Major Burd's detachment when he and many others-about eight hun- dred-were taken prisoners. This skirmish took place on the "Narrows Road," between Thirty-eighth and Fortieth Streets. The Americans were defeated because the British had completely outflanked and surprised them on the Jamaica road. Among the prisoners there were ninety-one officers. The killed were six officers and fifty privates, and less than six- teen officers and one hundred and fifty privates were wounded. The total loss of the British was reported at three hundred and sixty-seven officers and men. No official report of the losses in Lotz's and Kachlein's detachments can be found. Lotz had six officers taken from him, all prisoners, none killed or wounded, and Kachlein not more. The following appeared among the list of prisoners : Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Lotz, Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Kach- lein, Major Edward Burd, Captain Jacob Graul, Captain Joseph Hiester, Captain Jacob Maurer. Hiester and Maurer were exchanged in December, 1776.' Lotz was admitted to parole within certain bounds on April 16, 1777, and exchanged on September 10, 1779. He returned to his home in Reading, where he must have died shortly after, for it does not ap- pear that he ever called on the commissaries of prisoners for anything that may have been due him during his imprisonment and parole.2

DESERTERS .- Henry Haller was on duty at Reading in December, 1776, with his battalion. On the 16th of December he left, and on the 30th of December he wrote to the Council of Safety :

"That the greatest number of the men of my Bat- talion deserted on the 13th and 14th, a thing that might, in my opinion, have been prevented had the

officers taken proper steps ; but some of them were as willing as the privates to break up the Battalion ; took no pains to get their men, and this conduct en- couraged others. Since that I have been here waiting to get the pay-rolls, that money might be drawn to pay off the men, that they might be encour- aged to re-enter the service. But some of the cap- tains give me all the delay in their power. There- fore, I pray your attention to the matter. I think it a paymaster was ordered up here to pay off the Bat- talion, it would have a good effect."

The Executive Council, on the 18th of Jan- uary, 1777, took the following action in refer- ence to the refusal of the associators in Hun- ter's Battalion to march to the seat of war in New Jersey :

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 27

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418