History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 29

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

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The following interesting miscellaneous items are added to this chapter.

Aug. 15, 1776 .- The Committee of Safety appointed two persons in each district of the county to make provision for distressed families whose husbands and fathers were in actual service. Henry Hahn and Peter Feather were appointed for Reading.

December 4, 1776 .- Order to pay expense of remov- ing public papers to Reading.

June 9, 1777 .- Order to Colonel Jacob Morgan (lieutenant of Berks County) for one hundred and fifty stand of arms and one thousand five hundred

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

flints and order on treasurer to Colonel Morgan for £500.

August 26, 1777 .- Henry Spyker appointed pay- master of militia of Berks County in place of Colonel Hunter, to whom inconvenient.

September 12, 1777 .- Ordered that Bucks County militia be employed as a guard to conduct the British prisoners to Reading, and such others as may be neces- sary to be added and ordered that the third and fourth class of militia of Berks County be called into immed- iate service.

October 23, 1777 .- Ordered that sixth and seventh class of Berks County be immediately called out.

January 1, 1778 .- Order to pay expenses for remov- ing Quaker prisoners to Reading-£159 38. 4d.

January 9, 1778 .- Leonard Reed was wagon-master of Berks County. Subsequently the appointment of wagon master-general was tendered to him. Henry Haller was appointed wagon-master in 1778, and he held this appointment till 1780. In June, 1779, he was wagon master-general.

January 10, 1778 .- Ordered that Val. Eckhard and John Lesher, of Berks County, appointed to act as commissioners for purchasing forage, supplies and fire-arms.

February 20, 1778 .- Ordered that the sum of £4000 be sent by Jacob Morgan to Val. Eckhart and John Lesher for purchasing supplies.

Order to treasurer for $150 for recruiting, etc.

March 24, 1778 .- Ordered that two hundred mili- tia of Berks County, for guard at Reading.

March 28, 1878 .- Order drawn on treasurer in favor of Henry Spyker, paymaster of militia of Berks County for £5,000.

July 13, 1778 .- Letter of Colonel D. Hunter to several colonels of Berks County militia for immediate assistance, laid before Congress.

July 23, 1778 .- Order of one-third ton of gunpow- der, etc., be delivered to lieutenant of Berks County militia.

June 1, 1779 .- Letter from Reading to Mr. Haller, inclosing sundry papers-respecting prisoners at Reading, and disturbances between them and the in- habitants of the town. Ordered that papers be sent to Board of War and request that prisoners be sent to some other place.

June 29, 1779 .- Congress authorized a loan of $20,- 000,000, and suggested the appointment of persons to take subscriptions for loans. The Executive Council, on the 14th of July following, appointed Henry Hal- ler a commissioner for this purpose in Berks County.

July 14, 1779 .- Henry Haller, Esq., appointed to receive subscription in Berks County for loan of $20,000,000 on interest.

July 15, 1779 .- Letter from Henry Haller as to sugar and rum, sent to John Wilman, tavern-keeper . at Reading.

March 13, 1780 .- Letter from commissioners of

Berks County as to obstructions, in way of executing their office, and answer.

May 19, 1780 .- Petition of Christian Shultz, as- sessor of county of Berks, complaining of commis- sioners; read and referred to judge of the Supreme Court.

August 14, 1780 .- Jacob Morgan, Jr., was appointed superintendent of the commissioners of the State for purchasing supplies, and also of the wagon-masters, at a salary of £1,000 per annum, and an order was then drawn in his favor for £20,000, which he was directed to forward to the commissioners to enable them to purchase supplies.

November 25, 1780 .- John Witman appointed col- lector of excise for Berks County.

November 30, 1780 .- Order on treasurer drawn to Henry Spyker, paymaster of Berks County, for £163,- 000 to pay militia of said County, if so much in treas- ury for militia fines.

December 13, 1780 .- Resolved that Jacob Morgan pay off militia who marched on late tour of duty.

December 13, 1780 .- A petition from divers inhabit- ants of Berks County who were convicted of misde- meanor, in associating together, to oppose the col- lector of the public taxes in said county was read, setting forth that they are unable to pay fines laid on them by court, and pray remission. Resolved that they be remitted.

January 26, 1781 .- Petition of Inhabitants of Bern, praying for remission of fine of £300 sentenced for misdemeanor in confederating against payment of taxes.

July 1, 1781 .- Letter from Henry Christ and Henry Haller. Ordered that secretary do answer that coun- cil understand the tract of land, on which the town' of Reading stands, to be an estate held by the pro- prietors in their public capacity, and accordingly de- volves to the State ; but that if any advice respecting construction of law be necessary to Christ and Haller, that it is proper they should state the question to the Attorney-General, who will, of course, give his opinion.

AFFAIRS AT READING IN 1777 .- The steady advance of the English upon Philadelphia during 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 agree- able, notwithstanding that the enemy was in possession of the metropolis. The society was sufficiently large and select; and a sense of common suffering in being 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

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visitors, gentlemen of the army and others. The dissipation of cards, sleighing parties, balls, etc., were numerous. General Mifflin, at this era, was at home-a chief out of war, complaining, though not ill, considerably mal- content, and apparently not in high favor at headquarters. According to him, the ear of the commander-in-chief was exclusively pos- sessed by Green, who was represented to be neither the most wise, the most brave nor the most patriotic of counsellors. In short, the cam- paign in this quarter was stigmatized 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 incom- petently sustained by Washington. There was, to all appearance, a cabal forming for his depo- sition, 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, im- porting "that Heaven had passed a decree in her favor or her ruin must long before have ensued from the imbecility of her military counsels," was at this time familiar at Reading. And I (Gray- don) 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 General 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 an 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 circulation ; and it may be said that the popu- larity of the commander-in-chief was a good deal impaired at Reading. 1

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 some members of Congress to bring about the removal of Washington. The correspond- ence between Gates, Mifflin and Conway, reflect- ing upon Washington, became known through the indiscretion of Wilkinson, who had seen one of the letters and repeated its purport to Stirling. The unfavorable impression produced by this discovery was not removed when Gates, with some bluster, first demanded of Washing- ton to know who had tampered with his letters, and then denied that Conway had written the letter whose words had been quoted.2 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 he wrote to Washington on the 8th of December, in which, among other things, he said : "I conjure your Excellency to give me all the assistance you can in tracing the author of the infidelity which put extracts from General Conway's letter to me in your hands." Washington replied with char- acteristic dignity and candor on the 4th of Jan- uary 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 Stirling at Reading and-not in confidence that I ever understood-informed his aid- de-camp, Major Williams, that General Conway 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 Sterling-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 3 equally abortive, 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 tra- dition locating the place of meeting in a low one-story log building on the south side of

1 Graydon's Memoirs, 283.

2 3 Bryant's " History of U. S.," 596.

" 3 Irving's " Life of Washington." Also Sparks' " Life of Washington," vol. 5, pp. 484 et seq.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Penn street sixty feet above Eighth, (which was torn down several years ago), and another tradition in a two-story stone building on the south side of Penn street, one hundred and twenty feet above Tenth, called for many years the " Fountain Inn." But these traditions are not correct. Conway was not at Reading at any time. Wilkinson was on his way from Saratoga to York, where Congress was then assembled, with dispatches from Gen. Gates concerning the surrender of Burgoyne's army on the 17th of October. Accordingly the peo- ple of Reading knew 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. Metz- ger, 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 valnable to the colonists. There was a Captain Bowen in the Regiment. He was recognized as an excellent officer; but he had a warm temper which occasioned some disturb- ances at Reading about that time. On one occasion he took offense when none was intended, and on that account, fought a duel with the major of the regiment. The duellists each fired a shot, and Bowen had a button shot from his coat. Their seconds then settled the matter between them. An investigation of the cause of the difficulty was then made. "It appeared the major was walking with some girls on the night before, and they burst ont laughing just after Bowen had passed them. Their laughter was caused by the major telling them of his and Bowen's being 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 langhing and they all returned in good humor. Upon another occasion, soon after- ward, whilst Bowen and Charles Biddle (who was then residing at Reading) were playing backgammon, at a certain place, Captain Bower -an officer in the 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 quar- reling." They returned, and Biddle made the captains shake hands, and so avoided a second duel. Bowen held the appointment of Town- Major for a time.1

INDEPENDENCE WON AND PEACE DE- CLARED .- The surrender of Lord Cornwallis, at Yorktown, on the 19th of October, 1781, was virtually the end of the war between Eng- land and America. The news of the surrender reached London on the 25th of November, fol- lowing. Several months afterward, the war- fare in the American Colonies was discussed and its continuance discouraged in the House of Commons, a resolution having been passed, declaring that they who advised the continua- tion of the war were enemies of their country. These discussions were continued with earnest- ness till they culminated in a preliminary treaty of peace on the 30th of November, 1782. In the first article of this treaty, "the independ- ence of the thirteen 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 occasioned further delay and obliged the United States to await the adjustment of the differences between them. The final treaty of peace was concluded at Paris on the 3d of September, 1783, and thereby the United States were ac- knowledged to be " free, sovereign and inde- pendent." 2

During these two years of negotiation and delay there were no general military operations.

1 Autobiog. of Charles Biddle, pp. 150-51.

2 Bryant's U. S. History, pp. 73-90.

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But great anxiety was felt over the prospects for a permanent peace. Through the inactivity of the army, the officers 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 griev- ances whilst they had arms in their hands. But Washington succeeded iu quieting them. His wisdom and eloquence elicited from the officers the unanimous adoption 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 con- tinued to have unshaken confidence in the jus- tice of congress and their country ; and that they viewed with abhorrence and rejected with disdain the infamous propositions in the late anonymous address to the officers of the army."

In order to avoid the inconveniences of dis- missing a great number of soldiers in a body, furloughs were freely granted. In this way a great part of the unpaid army was disbanded and dispersed over the states without tumult or disorder. The soldiers returned to labor. As they had been easily and speedily formed out of farmers and 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 earn- estly for the purposes of self-defense and politi- cal freedom, but when these were no longer necessary they laid them down peaceably to be- come again good industrious citizens as they had been for eight years devoted and patriotic soldiers.1

The manner and the time of the return of the Berks county troops from the seat of war have not as yet been ascertained. There was no record here or elsewhere; and, at that time, there was no newspaper publication in the town to report the arrivals. No written or printed statement has been prepared or published, show- ing the companies and men which were supplied by the county, the men killed or wounded, or

returned. Doubtless the citizens of the town rejoiced with all the people of the country when the struggle was over and peace declared.

REVOLUTIONARY SURVIVORS .- The follow- ing survivors of the Revolution, who were resi- dents of Reading, are presented in this connec- tion, though not strictly a part of this period.

In 1823 there were thirty-nine survivors. They held a public meeting on the 19th of August, of that year, for the purpose of endors- ing Andrew Gregg as a candidate for Governor of the State. Peter Nagle was chairman of the meeting and Michael Madeira secretary. Ap- propriate resolutions were adopted,-

Peter Nagle.

Michael Madeira.

John Strohecker. Jacob Dick.

Nicholas Dick. Daniel Rose.

George Snell.

Gottlieb Christine.

Henry Miller.

William Mannerback.

Henry Stiles.

Philip Nagle.

Michael Reifschneider.

Alexander Eisenbise.

Michael Spatz.

Balthaser Ottenheimer.

John Snell.

George Slear.

George Price.

John Bingeman.

David Fox.

John Fox.

Christian Miller.

Henry Holm.

Jacob Petree.

Christopher Diem.

Andrew Fichthorn.

George Yerger.

Peter Stichter.

John Row.

James Haiden.

Ludwig Katzenmyer.

John Giley.

Christian Hoffman.

John Sell.

Samuel Homan.

Frederick Heller.

Henry Diehl.

John Syder.

In 1840 the census reported nine surviving Revolutionary soldiers in Reading who were then drawing pensions from the State Govern- ment, viz. :

Michael Spatz, aged seventy-eight years.

Peter Stichter, aged seventy-eight years.

Aaron Wright, aged seventy-eight years.

William James, aged seventy-nine years. Sebastian Allgaier, aged eighty-three years.

John P. Nagle, aged eighty three years.

Henry Stiles, aged eighty four years.

Joseph Snablee, aged eighty-four years.

Christian Miller, aged eighty-five years.

In 1846 two still survived-Michael Spatz and William James.

CONTINENTAL PAPER MONEY .- During the progress of the Revolution the government of the United States was compelled to resort to the emission of "bills of credit" with which to

1 Ramsay's U. S. History (Introduction-pp. 85-87).

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

purchase army supplies, etc., and to satisfy the demands of carrying on the war. Gold and silver was not then known to exist in the conn- try in any quantity equal to the demands of war ; nor could they be procured. Direct taxa tion, 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 exchange for gold or silver. This practice had been familiar from the first settlement of the colonies ; and, under proper restrictions, it

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had been fonud 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 Novem- ber, 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 for some time without any deprecia- tion, and commanded the resources of the country for public service equally with gold or silver. For a considerable time the Govern- ment derived much benefit from this paper creation of their own, though it was without any established funds for its support or redemp- tion. Whilst the ministry of England were

puzzling themselves for new taxes and funds ou which to raise supplies, congress 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 millions. The rulers thought it still premature 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 congress to multiply them beyond the limits of prudence ; and a depreciation of their valne was the unavoidable consequence. At first this depreciation was scarcely perceptible, but it increased daily, till finally the currency became worthless. The de- preciation 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 currency for one in specie ; in 1778, five for one ; in 1779, twenty-seven for one; in 1780, fifty for one. After this year the circulation was limited to certain localities ; but where the currency passed it depreciated to one hundred and fifty dollars for one. In Pennsylvania the executive council resolved, as late as Feb- ruary 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 1st, 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 depreciation 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

167

WHISKEY INSURRECTION OF 1794.

of the county, met with considerable losses thereby. Some of them had large quantities which were transmitted for some time till lost or destroyed. It was not redeemed.

CHAPTER X.

Whiskey Insurrection of 1794-House Tax and Liberty Poles of 1799-Embargo of 1807-War of 1812 -- 15 and Companies of County Enlisted.

WHISKEY INSURRECTION OF 1794 .- As early as 1756 the province of Pennsylvania had looked to excise on ardent spirits for the means of sustaining its bills of credit. The original law was limited to a period of ten years; but it was extended from time to time as necessities pressed upon the treasury. During the Revo- lution the law was generally evaded in the western part of the State by considering all spirits as for domestic use, such having been ex- cepted from excise. But, when the debts of the Revolution began to press upon the States, the government officials became more vigilant in the enforcement of the law. Congress, after a long debate, passed a law in March, 1791, increasing the duty on imported spirits and levying a tax ' on distillation, and this went into operation in July following. The Legisla- ture of Pennsylvania had instructed their rep- resentatives in Congress to vote against the law. Opposition arose at once in the western counties of the State, and resolutions were adopted at public meetings demanding an unconditional appeal. Liberty poles were erected, and people even assembled in arms to resist officers in the enforcement of the law. Various public ex- citements continued till 1794, when an insur- rection ensued. Governor Mifflin, of the State, on various excuses, declined to call ont the militia to suppress the insurrection, and, as a consequence, the spirit extended into conti- guous States. President Washington, who feared that successful resistance to one law might be the beginning of rebellion against all law, called on Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mary- land and Virginia for fifteen thousand men, and sent commissioners to the scene of the dis-

turbance,2 witli power to arrange for peaceful submission any time before September 14, 1794. But the commissioners returned to Philadelphia ten days after that date, having failed to obtain a satisfactory settlement. The troops were promptly put in motion, the governors of the several States named commanding their respec- tive quotas. Governor Lee, of Virginia, had chief command of the army. On the appear- ance of the troops, in November, the insurrec- tion subsided. There was no opposition and no bloodshed. Among the Pennsylvania troops there was a company from Reading under the command of Captain Daniel de B. Keim. This company was formed from certain survi- vors of the Reading Battalion in the Continen- tal Army, which had been commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Lotz, and was called the " Reading Union Volunteers." It was afterwards known as the " Reading Artil- lerists." This insurrection cost the government eleven hundred thousand dollars.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 29

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