History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 17

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 812

USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 17

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Mrs. Whittaker relates that while the Strope family were held as captives at Tioga Point, that Seacord was acting as a sutler to the British soldiers encamped there, and says, 'While we were captives on the Susquehanna, a man by the name of John Seacord, a Tory, had some flour which had been brought from Niagara, and he was dealing it out to one and another of the company, and my mother went to him and begged for some for her children, who were almost starving. He refused to let her have any. His son Cyrus, standing by, said, 'She is not to blame for her husband's being a rebel ;' but he steadily refused to give her a morsel. The son, however, gave some to my mother without his knowing of it. After the war, this same Seacord and his son Cyrns came to Wysox to settle. His name stuck to him, but he did not stay long to hear it. My

« Connectieut Archives, Susquehanna Settlers, No. 90.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

father heard he thought of settling on Franklin's flats, and he went to him with a heavy ox-whip, and said, ' John Seacord, do you think we are going to have you among us when you refused to let my wife have flour for her starving children ?' and followed that up with a terrible whipping. He left the settlement, but my father also told him before he left, if his son Cyrus would come, he would be glad to have him for a neighbor, and would do all for him that one neighbor should do for another."

"Northumberland County, June 6, 1785 .- John Seeord, of the State of New York, conveyes to Matthias IIollenhaek all his right, title, and interest in a certain tract of land called Tioga Point, in the county of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, at the junction uf the Tyoga and Susquehanna Rivers, with the improvements, in eon- sideration of one hundred pounds, &c.

" June 29, 1785, before me, Wm. Maclay, Esq., one of the Justices of the Coart of Common Pleas for Northumberland County, eame Jacob Bowman, of Tyoga, and James Whitney, of Wyoming, laborers, and made affidavit that they respectively knew of John Secord's dwelling at Tioga Point, nearly where Matthias Hollenback has a dwelling and improvements, hefore the year 1780: and that the said Seeord bad a suitable house, harn, &c. Bowman says improved land to the value of seven or eight acres."

" PHILADELPHIA COUNTY, 88.

" Personally appeared before me, Plunket Fleeson, one of the Justices of the aforesaid county, Rudolph Fox, of the county of Northumber- land, being of full age, who, being daly sworn according to the law, deposeth and saith, that this deponent was at Tioga in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, where he saw John Secord settled with his family at the point of Tioga, in a cabhin built by the said Secord, and that the said Secord had considerable stock of cattle and horses. This deponent further saith that he and the said Secord, and all the settlers in that settlement, had positive warning from the Indians for them to move up immediately into their lines or settle- ments, and in case of neglect or disobedience of this order they might depend upon a total extinction. That the said Secord, with the rest of the settlers, was removed in consequence of these orders. That this deponent knew that a party of Indians had gone down the river to the Lower Settlements; that this deponent secidentally got the oppor- tunity to come off with Col. Hartley's troops, who had then arrived there. And this deponent further saith that he never knew said Seeord to take up arms for or against the country, and further this depo- nent saith not.

" RUDOLPH FOX.

"Sworn the 31st day of October, 1785, before "PLUNKET FLEESON."

There was on the Tioga, in the township of Athens, and a little above the village, what is described by one of the journalists as " Provost's plantation." In the subsequent settlement of the place, quite an amount of buried house- hold goods was found, consisting of pewter dishes, iron kettles, etc .; but who was the occupant of the property there is no certain knowledge. In fact, it is very certain that during the British and Indian occupation of this town in the early part of the Revolutionary war, quite a number of Loyalists had homes of more or less permanence in this region, extending from Tioga to Chemung, but their names and particular localities cannot be fixed, and would be of but little historical value if they could.

The following is a list of settlers in Springfield township before the war of 1778 :* Leonard Lott,* Philip Painter,* Calvin Eaton, Benjamin Eaton, Edward Hicks, Benjamin Pawling,* William Pawling,* Jesse Pawling,* Edmund (Richmond) Berry,* - Page,* Josiah Dewey,* James Wells,* James Wells, Jr.,* Nathan Kingsley,* Amos York,*

Isaiah Pasco,* Caleb Atherton,* Miner Robbins, William Dunn, Ephraim Tyler,* James Forsythe, Jacob Burt, Ephraim Bowman, John Segar, Benjamin Budd,* John Budd,* Joseph Budd*, Asa Budd,* William Crooks,* Ambrose Gaylord,* Justus Gaylord,* - - Winters, Stephen Skiff, Prince Bryant,* Parker Wilson, Caspar Hoover. The above list is in the handwriting of Justus Gaylord, Jr.

" 1802, September 20th .- Before me, Thomas Cooper, personally ap- peared Nathan Kingsley, Esquire, who, upon his oath, deposeth, that of the names in the preceding list, he remembers all the persons thereby designated, as settlers in the township of Springfield, before the year 1778, and many of them in 1776 and 1777; but he cannot depose whether they settled specifically under the Susquehanna title or not in the cases of Leonard Lott, Edward Flicks, John Segar, -- Winters, and Caspar lloover, in the said list mentioned ; all the rest were generally known and understood by this deponent and others to be settlers under the Susquehanna elaim. Deponent farther saith that the Township of Springfield was first granted and laid out about the year 1775 (May, 1774), in what was called the Long Town- ship ; which not being agreeable to the rules and regulations of the Susquehanna company, the present five-mile township was granted about the spring of 1777.

his "NATHAN + KINGSLEY. mark

"Sworn before me, Sept. 20, 1802.

" THOS. COOPER."

"September 20, 1802 .- Before me, Thomas Cooper, Commissioner under the act of April 4, 1799, &e., appeared Justas Gaylord, who, upon his oath, deposeth and saith, that he was a settler in the Town- ship of Springfield before the year 1778; during which time he per- sonally knew the twenty-three persons in the foregoing list, whose names are marked with a eross (#) as settlers under the Connecticut title in said Township, as was then understood, and as deponent believes, except Benjamin, William, and Jesse Pawling, who were re- ported and understood to have purchased the title under Pennsylvania as well as under Connecticut, for the land whereon they lived in said Township.

" JUSTUS GAYLORD, JR. "Sworn before me, date as first above written. "THus. COOPER."

LIST OF SETTLERS IN CLAVERACK.+

" 1802, October 4 .- Before me, Thomas Cooper, Com- missioner under the act of April 4, 1799, for offering compensation, &c., personally appeared Jacob Bowman, resident at the mouth of Towanda creek, out of the Town- ship of Claveraek, and not owning any lands in the said Township, who, upon his solemn oath, declared that he was acquainted with many of the original settlers of the Town- ship of Clavcrack, and that in particular he knows the per- sons named in the list hereunder as settlers in the said Township, under the Connecticut title, prior to and within the years 1784, 1785, and 1786, viz. : Jacob Bowman, Jesse Allen, Sebastian Strope, Sale Robert, John Robert, . Roswell Franklin, Arnold Franklin, Samuel Cole, Jehial Franklin, John Newell, Abel Newell, Josiah Newell, Isaac Foster, Abiel Foster, Rufus Foster, Daniel Guthrie, Ezra Rutty, Jonas Smith, Jacob Grenadier (Grantier), Isaac Van Valkenburg, William Nelson, John Heath, Nathaniel Heacock, Benjamin Gardner, Herman Van Valkenburg.

his "JACOB + BOWMAN. mark

" Sworn before me the day and date above written.

" THOS. COOPER."

* Pennsylvania land-office.

+ Pennsylvania land-offiec.

IIISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

" At the same time, before me, the said Thos. Cooper, John Stropc, of the Township of Claverack, claimant of a lot in the said Township, who, upon his solemn oath, de- poses, that the above list of names, now by me read over to him separately and distinctly, were to his knowledge set- tlers under the Susquehanna title within the township of Claverack, previous to the year 1786, except Samuel Cole, John Heath, Nathaniel Heacock, and Benjamin Gardner; whom he knows only as settlers by reputation, and cannot depose as to the time of their coming on.

" Mark + of JOHN STROPE.

" Sworn before me, date as above.

" THOS. COOPER."

PETITION OF ELIJAII PHELPS AND OTHERS .*

" To the Honourable General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, now sitting at Hartford :

"The memorial of Lemuel Fitch, Richard J. Jeralds (Fitzgerald), Amos York, Benjamin Skiff, Benjamin Eaton, Benjamin Merry, Johu Williamson, Frederick Vanderlip, Nathan Kingsley, Nicholas Depew, Elijah Brown, Elijah Phelps, Ichabod Phelps, Elijah Phelps, Jr., James Forsythe, Thomas Millard, Thomas Millard, Jr., and James Wells, of the County of Westmoreland, humhly sheweth : That your memorialists were settlers ou the Susquehanna river, in the upper part of the county aforesaid, nearly adjoining the Indian settlements, and were very much exposed to being plundered, robbed, and cap- tivated by the Indians and Tories, and were obliged to leave our pos- sessions and move off with our families and effects to a different part of the country for safety, whereby your memorialists are deprived of the privilege of our settlements and improvements for the support of our families ; whereupon your memorialists pray your Honours would take our case into your consideration, and grant that our several rates made on the list of August, 1777, may be abated, or in some other way may grant relief, as your memorialists in duty hound will ever pray. Signed

" ELIJAH PHELPS, "on behalf of himself and others. " HARTFORD, the 27th day of May, 1778."

Those in italics are known to have been settlers in Brad- ford County. This petition is not a fair statement of facts, and was doubtless made without the knowledge of all whose names are mentioned. York, Fitch, and Kingsley were at that date captives among the Indians; James Wells was in the Continental army ; while some of the others were Tories in the British army.

The story of our ancestors of this period, the perusal of the traditions and incidents, which have been gathered of their lives, has afforded us glimpses of their social condition. We have stood beneath their humble roofs, and looked with thoughtful eyes upon their few comforts. We have been made familiar with the simple things that made up the sum of their common necessities. Their food, clothing, and fur- niture have afforded suggestive glimpses of their manners, customs, and peculiarities. We have been witnesses of their thrift, and quiet, peaceful well-being at one time, and of the privations they endured, and the outrages to which they were subjected, at another. We have returned with them from flight to look upon the blackened ruins of their dwellings, and their crops devastated by the red men, led on oftentimes by the more savage, malicious, and re- vengeful Tories. Their patient endurance, their zealous patriotism, their unconquerable devotion, their thrift, frugal- ity, simplicity, rectitude, and fortitude, have arrested our

attention, and caused us to think about them with unspeak- able admiration and reverential pride. May their memory remain green and their example influential among us as long as freedom lives in America !

CHAPTER IV.

BRADFORD COUNTY DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

THE location of its territory made this county the theatre of important events and movements during the struggle of the nation for existence. As has been stated, about seventy- five families were settled along the river from Wyalusing to Towanda, while above were the Indian villages of Sheshe- quin and Tioga. The latter became the place of rendezvous for hostile bands of British soldiers, Tories, and Indians, who, following the Susquehanna, or the great war-path which skirted its eastern bank, made their incursions upon Wyoming; or, taking the Sheshequin path, fell like a thunder-bolt upon the inhabitants of the West Branch. It was along these same routes that detachments of American soldiers pursued the merciless invaders, or in greater force carried devastation and destruction into the country of the enemy. Hardly a month was allowed to pass, from the beginning to the close of the Revolutionary war, that these hills did not echo the yells of the savage warrior or the tread of the American soldier.

At a town-meeting held March 2, 1774, the town of Westmoreland was divided into eight districts, of which " Exeter, Providence, and all the lands west and north of the town-line, be one district, by the name of the North District." At another meeting, held June 27, of the same year, votes were passed "to form themselves into com- panies in a military way," each district to form a company. The rankling jealousy which always existed between those holding adverse titles now culminated into an open rupture. The Pennsylvanians were mostly settled along the river above Exeter. These refused to join the company and train under Yankee officers, for which offense they were declared enc- mies, fined and imprisoned; and as they persisted in this course, were branded as Tories, and traitors to their coun- try. These violent proceedings doubtless served to alienate the feelings of this class from the patriots and affiliate them with the opposite party.

The people of Wyoming took an early and conspicuous part on the side of Congress in opposing the encroachments attempted by the British government. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Westmoreland, held by adjournment Aug. 8, 1775, after expressing their determination to sup- port the cause of American freedom, declare that they " do consent to and acquiesce in the late proceedings and advice of the Continental Congress, and do rejoice that those measures are adopted, and so universally received through- out the continent ; and in conformity to the eleventh article of the association, we do now appoint a committee to at- tentively observe the conduct of all persons within this town, touching the rules and regulations prescribed by the honourable Continental Congress, and will unanimously join

# Connecticut Archives, Susquehanna Settlers, No. 86.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

our brethren in America in the common cause of defending our liberty.

" Voted, That Mr. John Jeakins, Joseph SInman, Esq., Nathan Denison, Esq., Mr. Obadiah Gore, Jr., and Lient. William Bnek be chosen a committee of correspondence for the town of Westmoreland. " Voted, That Jonathan Fitch, Mr. Anderson Dana, Capt. Mc- Karrachan, Mr. Caleb Spencer, Capt. Samuel Ransom, Lient. George Dorrance, Mr. Asahel Buek, Mr. Stephen Harding, Mr. John Jen- kins, Jr., Mr. Barilla Tyler, Jr., Mr. Elijah Witer, Mr. Nathan Kings- ley, Mr. John Secord, and Mr. Robert Carr be chosen a committee of inspection for ye town of Westmoreland."

Thus, at the very outset, did our people join hands with Wyoming in their first pledge to the cause of American liberty. Miner remarks (page 189) : "The proceedings of this meeting cast the die for Wyoming. Her people girded their loins for the contest against British oppression, and immediately eommeneed putting themselves in condition to meet the shock of battle."

No sooner had the news of the battles of Concord and Lex- ington reached these distant settlements than aetive prepara- tions began to be made to participate in the confliet, and Lieut. Obadiah Gore, with about twenty or thirty others, having enlisted in the New York line under Capt. Weisner, hastened to the field of battle. At a town-meeting held at Wilkes- Barre, Aug. 23, 1776, it was

" Resolved, That two companies on the Continental establishment be raised in the town of Westmoreland, and stationed in proper places for the defense of the inhabitants of said town and parts adja- cent till further orders of Congress, the commissioned officers of the said two companies to be immediately appointed hy Congress."

To this call quite a number of our people responded. Simon Spalding leased his plantation at Standing Stone ; the Wellses, father and son, left their home at Wyalusing, as did Ambrose Gaylord, Justns Gaylord, Jr., Ludd Gay- lord (the latter a mere boy), Stephen Skiff, and others, and enlisted. A number of others at once returned to Wyoming, where they could be ready to engage in any military move- ments that should be set on foot. The two Wyoming companies were organized by the appointment, by Congress, of Robert Durkee and Samuel Ransom to be captains, James Wells and Perin Ross first lieutenants, Asahel Buck and Simon Spalding second lieutenants, Herman Swift and Matthias Hollenback ensigns, were mustered into service Sept. 17, 1776, and were known as the First and Second Independent Companies of Wyoming.

In October following, an act was passed by the Conneeti- cut assembly for raising, in the town of Westmoreland, a company, of which Solomon Strong was appointed eaptain, Obadiah Gore, Jr., and John Jenkins, Jr., lieutenants, to be a part of the 24th Regiment of Connecticut militia. About twenty men were raised, of whom John Jamison was appointed lieutenant, who marched away and joined the Connecticut line. In addition to these were the train- bands in each of the eight districts provided for by the resolution of March 2, 1774, which were united, and formed the 24th Regiment of Connecticut militia, eom- manded by Col. Nathan Dennison. George Dorrance was the lieutenant-colonel, and John Garrett major.

On the 12th of December Congress ordered the two Wy- oming companies to join the army of Washington, then on its retreat from the disastrous engagements about New York. This order was promptly obeyed.

At the town-meeting held Aug. 24, 1776, it was voted to erect suitable forts for the protection of the inhabitants. Old Forty fort was enlarged and strengthened, and others were built at Plymouth, Hanover, Wilkes-Barre, and Pitts- ton, and it was contemplated to establish one at Wyalusing.

The old animosities between the Pennsylvania and Con- nectient settlers broke out afresh. Mr. Miner says, " There had come in strange families of interlopers from Minnisink, from Westchester, N. Y., from Kinderhook, and the Mo- hawk, neither connected with Pennsylvania nor Connecticut, between whom and the old settlers there was neither sym- pathy in feeling nor community of interests,-Wintermoots, Van Gorders, and Van Alstines .* A path of communica- tion was opened by the disaffected between New York and Niagara, to strike the Susquehanna twenty miles above Wilkes-Barre. Some of those new and unwelcome settlers soon made their sentiments known, and disclosed their hos- tility to the American canse, while others for the time re- mained quiet, though subsequent events showed the pur- pose of their emigration to the Susquehanna."

Another source of uneasiness was the conduct of the Indians. At the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, they had engaged to observe a perfeet neutrality. But it was known that Colonel Guy Johnson, a British Indian agent, had held a treaty with them at Oswego, whereupon Colonel Butler, commanding the 24th Regiment, sent a messenger among them to ascertain their intentions. A chief returned with the messenger, and, at a conference held at Wyoming, he, on the behalf of the Six Nations, declared they were for peace, but wished to hold a council at Wyoming.

Another deputation visited Wyoming in September, and renewed the request for a council, and informed the an- thorities that they did not wish forts built up the river, adding, " A fort at Wyalusing will block np our new-made, wide, and smooth road, and again make us strangers to one another."

At the beginning of the next year, another delegation visited the settlements. Under date of Jan. 9, 1777, the committee of Westmoreland write to the committee of Easton, in which they state that the bearers are a part of a large body of the Six Nations who, at a treaty that day held at Wyoming, expressed their friendship for the United

* In a note to Col. Stone's History of Wyoming, p. 201, is the fol- lowing : " Among the papers of Col. Zebulon Butler Mr. Miner bas discovered a document labeled ' A list of Tories who joined the In- dians.' There are sixty-one names on tho list, hut of these thero were but three New England men. Most of them were transient persons, or laborers, or men who had gone to Wyoming as hunters and trap- pers. Six are of one family,-the Wintermoots; four were named Secord ; three were Pawlings ; three Larraways ; and four Van Al- stynes. It is not helievod that there were more than twenty or twenty- five Tory families. Nine of them were from the Mohawk valley, who were probably sent thithor by the Johnsons to poison the sottlement, if possible, or as spies. Four of them were from Kinderhook; six from the county of Westchester (N. Y.). The Wintermoots were from Minisink. There were not ten Tory families who had resided ten years in Wyoming." I have not succeeded in finding a copy of this paper. It was possibly burned in W. P. Miner's printing-office. Of the names mentioned, all but the Wintermoots were residents of Bradford County, viz. : the Pawlings at Wyalusing, the Van Alstynes at Standing Stone, the Larraways at Wysox, and the Secords at Athens.

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

States, and that a body of about two hundred men, women, and children were on their way desirous of holding a treaty at Easton. Whether this treaty was ever held I have been unable to learn. At the same time William Dunn and Abel Reese petitioned Congress for liberty to enlist two companies of Indians into the army of the United States.

Aside from these preparations and movements, which, for the most part, were confined to Wyoming, everything remained quiet on the Susquehanna. There were rumors that some of the disaffected people were acting as spics, and attempting to stir up the Indians to engage in the war ; that the settlers under the Pennsylvania title were engaging the savages as allies to drive out the Connecticut people ; that the Indians had, notwithstanding their professions of friendship, committed acts of hostility ; but the year 1776 closed without any hostile movement in the valley, the Indians disclaiming any intention of engaging in the war, and the disaffected being too few in number successfully to make any hostile demonstration.

In the spring of 1777, the Tories, who were settled along the river from Tunkhannock to Tioga, began to exhibit signs of uneasiness and activity. The few Indians who had continued to live in the white settlements on friendly terms were more insolent, and finally withdrew to the Indian towns. Gen. Burgoyne was marching with a strong force from Canada, by way of Lake Champlain, to effect a junction with Gen. Clinton, at New York, and thus cut the colonies asunder. A strong detachment of the British army had invested Fort Schuyler. British Indian agents, hope of plunder, and reward for scalps had induced the Indians to violate their pledge of neutrality and engage in the British interest. Some from this valley joined the forces of St. Leger, but the results of the campaign proving disastrous, they returned in the fall and took the Freeman's oath. They continued, however, in cordial sympathy with the enemy, and only awaited a favorable opportunity to give them their active support.

The Indians now began to engage in acts of open hostil- ity against the Whigs. Mr. James Sutton, a Quaker, and John Jenkins made a journey to Queen Esther's flats to procure the release of Mr. Ingersoll, who had been carried into captivity. The visitors were courteously treated by the queen, and invited to share her hospitality. She told them she was opposed to the war, and wished the Indians to live at peace with the white people. Says Mr. Peck, " In the course of the evening a company of Indians came before the house, and seating themselves upon a log, began to sing the war-song. The old queen went out to them, and was engaged in an earnest conversation with them for a long time. When she came in she frankly told her guests that the Indians were determined to waylay and kill them, add- ing, with great emphasis, ' I can do nothing with them. Now,' said she, 'You lie down until I call you.' They did so, and when all was still in the town she called them, and then said, ' You must go down the river. Go down the bank, take my canoe, and paddle it without noise. Lift the pad- dles up edgewise so as to made no splash in the water, and you may get out of reach before the war-party find out which way you have gone.' They slipped off and found the canoe, which the queen had particularly described,

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 17

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 812

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 812