History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 8

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340

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This " divine " ruler, "who can do no wrong," is but one of a fam- ily of lordly maniacs, whose chief delight and employment is to slip out on his grounds and shoot peasants. His keepers humor him, load his gun with blank cartridges, and the people are required to fall when he fires, and as he tumbles them over he is wild with delight ; wholly daft, he is far more harmless, in fact, than have been the most of the sanest of the long line that have afflicted the world. And to see a nation black with grief over the deaths of such fetiches-in deepest, real sorrow, trembling for fear God has determined to ruin them by taking their beloved royal family, would be amusing as well as pathetic were it not the proof of a perversion so deep as to be hopelessly incurable. This condition of the race is artificial ; there can be nothing natural in it because it is monstrously cruel -- the cruellest idea that ever found lodgement upon the earth, and it is absurd, stupid and horrid, through- out. The companion idea of this king-fetich worship is the one of a strong, fighting government, able to cross over and murder your neighbors and loot their country, and millions of men upon the earth ready to offer up their lives on the slaughter block in defense of the theory that their nation has a chip on its shoulders and dares all the world to knockit off. Naturally enough, indeed, the poet philosopher has exclaimed, " What fools we mortals be !"

The first real effective assault made upon this heathenism by men combined together to the extremity of life and death itself, was the immortal Declaration of Independence, made by our fathers, whose sharp swords cut the way to liberty and self-government. Other men had struck at the born-ruler idea, but it had been as Napoleon did- merely to push them off that he might seat himself on the throne and be a little more "divine" than the best of them, because he had the sharper sword ; a mere swapping of whips, which, no matter how the trade went, was sure to end in the deeper and still more cruel enslave- ment of the people. How our grand old sires slowly and finally reached the sublime idea of the non-necessity of a crowned ruler to transmit to his offspring all the " divine rights," it is now easy enough to see, provided we commence only at the time of the signing of the Declara- tion ; but it is a more involved problem if we go alittle farther back and

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

attempt to find the germ idea. It is glory enough that they struck down the king-fetich delusion, and proclaimed that they and their pos- terity were equal to the task of self-government, and no thanks to the bastard race.

The proclamation of war against the mother country found the people of this section fairly consumedwith the Pennamite and Yankee contention, and the rebellion portents came to them slowly; but the idea once grasped, all local questions were forgotten, and neighbors became Whig or Tory, respectively, and forgot that they were once divided between Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Some prominent men on the lower Susquehanna had been denounced by their neighbors as Tories, and they had come to what is now Bradford county, to get away from their neighbors. But this was literally jumping from the pan into the fire, as this was the outer borders and the confines of the Indian country. In 1777, some deserters from the Colonial army found refuge here, and in a little while the terms Tory and Whig were ban- died with even fiercer passions than had the old feud epithets. British emissaries stirred to foment the Indians, and the whites, whether Whig or Tory, had to flee for their lives. The Whigs, of course, suffered the most; many of them were killed, their property destroyed, and others carried into captivity; and from 1779 to 1783, there was not left a sin- gle white inhabitant in what is now Bradford county. Yet this was an important theater of war during the entire seven years of the struggle. The most decisive act, of course, was the expedition of Gen. Sullivan, and the expedition of Col. Hartley, that followed up the river and destroyed nearly every Indian village that lay in his route. The great Indian war path followed the river, and in their incursions upon the Wyoming they usually traveled the Sheshequin path. Hardly a month passed, from the beginning to the end of the war, but these old hills echoed the war whoops and the cracking of the rifles of the pursuers of the savages.

A war meeting was called by the people of this section as early as 1774, and as this was then known as Westmoreland county, Conn., it was divided into eight military districts, and immediately thereafter it was publicly resolved that the people form themselves into military companies. In August, 1775, the Wyoming people of Westmoreland Town declared in a public meeting that "we consent to and acquiesce in the late proceedings, and advice of the Continental Congress, and do rejoice that those measures are adopted." And a committee was ap- pointed "to attentively observe the conduct of all persons within this town touching the rules and regulations prescribed by the honorable Continental Congress, and will unanimously join our brethren in America in the common cause of defending our liberty." This was heroically responsive to every sentiment of the Declaration-indeed, it was a second Declaration, coming from the then remote borders of American civilization. The meeting of these earnest old patriots (but rebels then) unanimously resolved "that Mr. John Jenkins, Joseph Sluman, Nathan Dennison, Obadiah Gore, Jr., and Lieut. William Buck be chosen a committee of correspondence for the town of Westmore- land." It was further resolved that Jonathan Fitch. Anderson Dana,

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Capt. McKarrachan, Caleb Spencer, Capt. Samuel Ransom, Lieut. George Dorrance, Asahel Buck, Stephen Harding, John Jenkins, Jr., Barrilla Tyler, Elijah Witer, Nathan Kingsley, John Secord and Rob- ert Carr "be chosen a committee of inspection for ye town of West- moreland." Miner says (page 189): "The proceedings of this meet- ing cast the die for Wyoming. Her people girded up their loins for the contest against British oppression, and immediately commenced putting themselves in condition to meet the shock of battle." >

The news of the battle of Concord and Lexington roused the mili- tary ardor of the people, and instantly Lieut. Obadiah Gore, with about thirty others, hastened to join the command of Capt. Weisner, of the New York line; and, August 23, 1776, at a meeting at Wilkes- Barre, it was resolved that Westmoreland would immediately raise two companies and place them in position for defense of the people until they received orders from Congress. They left it to Congress to appoint the commissioned officers. There was a hearty response from those eminent men to this call from in what is now Bradford county. Among the first to respond were Simon Spalding, then liv- ing at Standing Stone; the Welleses, father and son, of Wyalusing, and Ambrose Gaylord, Justus Gaylord, Jr., Ludd Gaylord, Stephen Skiff and others. Congress appointed as officers of the two companies of Wyoming: Robert Durkee and Samuel Ransom, captains; James Welles and Perin Ross, first lieutenants; Asahel Buck and Simon Spalding, second lieutenants; Herman Swift and Mathias Hollenback, ensigns; and the two companies were mustered into service Septem- ber 17, 1776, under the name of the First and Second Independent Companies of Wyoming.

October following Connecticut passed an act for the raising in the town of Westmoreland of another company, of which Solomon Strong was captain, and Obadiah Gore, Jr., and John Jenkins, Jr., lieutenants, and to be a part of the Twenty-fourth Regiment of Connecticut Militia. Immediately thereafter John Jamison recruited twenty men and marched out and joined the Connecticut line. These were in addition to the eight " train bands " that had been provided for in 1774, which had been united and formed the Twenty-fourth Connecticut, com- manded by Col. Nathan Dennison; George Dorrance, lieutenant-colonel, and John Garrett, major.

December 12, following, the two companies joined Washington's command, then retreating from New York City.

The people in this valley were busily erecting forts, and Old Forty Fort was enlarged and strengthened, and others built to the south of it.

Stone's history of Wyoming, referring to the critical moment of the war, estimates that in what is now Bradford county there were probably twenty families that should be classed as in sympathy with the Tories, and through their influence appeared again the old feud between the Yankees and Penns, and Miner discovered an old docu- ment bearing this label: "A list of Tories who joined the Indians." It was said to have been made by Col. Zebulon Butler ; most of these were transient persons who had come to the Wyoming as birds of passage- hunters, trappers or laborers, and that among the Connecti-

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

cut people in the valley there were not more than three families thus affected. In the list are mentioned "four Secords, three Pawlings, three Larraways and four Van Alstynes." The Pawlings were of Wyalusing the Van Alstynes of Standing Stone, the Larraways of Wysox, and the Secords of Athens.

For some time there was nothing more serious on the Susquehanna than rumors and charges and counter accusations between the Pensyl- vania and Connecticut people, and the secret contriving of the few Tories remaining. But in the spring of 1777, the Tories from the lower Wyoming to Tioga Point (Athens), began to give signs of activity and uneasiness; first noticeable in the impudence, and arrogance of the Indians, who had at the commencement treated to keep the peace and remain neutral. The Indians withdrew from among the white settlements. Burgoyne was marching with a strong force from Canada to effect a junction with Gen. Clinton at New York, and this was designed to cut the Colonies in twain. British emissaries had tam- pered with the Indians, and offered them gold and scalps and loot if they would join them. Soon the Indians committed act after act of open hostility. Col. John Jenkins, with James Sutton, visited Queen Esther's village, near Tioga Point, in the hope of procuring the release of Ingersoll, who had been carried into captivity. They were received cordially, but the Queen finally told them that the bucks had resolved to waylay and murder them, when they started to return. By the loyal aid of the Queen they escaped in the darkness to the river, and jumped into her canoe, and softly paddled down the river. Now several deserters from the American army came to Tioga Point and Sheshe- quin, and their presence was unfortunate.

It is probable that designing parties, on both sides in the right to the territory question, unfortunately now seized upon this as a pretext, and each was ready to charge their opposers indiscriminately with treason. The British were not idle, and the Indians made themselves not only intolerable, but began systematic plundering and murdering upon exposed, helpless families.

The people (Yankees. to more particularly designate them) resolved on active measures to rid themselves of the spies and enemies in their midst. Samuel Gordon, a surveyor, was sent on a tour of observation to locate the dangerous men, return to Wyalusing and there to meet Lieut. Jenkins with a force and by rapid movements capture the lead- ers. Jenkins' expedition miscarried from some cause, and the Tories assembled and captured Gordon with other prisoners. Open hostili- ties swiftly followed. Rudolph Fox, the first settler at the mouth of the Towanda creek, was carried off into captivity in the month of March, 1777. He was taken to Quebec and kept nine months, his fam- ily all this time being in total ignorance of even his life or whereabouts. In the meantime the savages had stolen, and by open robbery had carried off even the last morsel of food of the family. Mr. Fox escaped, and on the night of December 17th following he reached the opposite side of the river and called to his family, and his voice was recognized by his wife. The Indians had stolen the canoe, and the ice was running in the river and a raft could not be pushed across, so

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

the poor man was obliged to bivouack on the bank in that black and stormy night, and the next morning the river was frozen over; but he reached his family alive.

Mr. Fox was again captured when the Indians captured the Strope family, and they carried him along for fear he would give the alarm. He soon made his escape, and again returned to his family. The dangers thickening, he undertook to gather his kine together, and with these make his way overland, while he placed his family in a bateau and started them down the river.

When in the vicinity of Dodge's island, Mr. Fox discovered a band of Indians crossing the hill in front of him. He motioned his family to come ashore, when he abandoned his stock and got into the canoe with them. They secreted themselves behind the island until the hostile party had passed, when they again resumed their journey. It was about the time of the Wyoming battle, and the river was swarm- ing with parties of hostile Indians. It seems almost miraculous that they could have escaped. At one time, as they were passing along, they heard firing and cries on the shore. A band of Indians had sur- prised a party of whites; and what also added to their danger, the babe, Rudolph, commenced screaming. The mother tried to hush him, crammed leaves into his mouth, and still being unable to quiet him, thrice took him up to throw him overboard-a desperate, but appar- ently only means of escaping detection. But the mother's heart could not consent to the sacrifice. They succeeded in passing the In- dians, and reached Sunbury in safety.

After the Wyoming battle Mr. Fox came up the river with Hart- ley's expedition to look after his interests. Upon the return of the detachment, he went back to his family. He remained at Sunbury till the close of the war, when, in 1873, he moved his family to Wilkes- Barre, whence he and four of his children proceeded to their old home at Towanda. A short time after this he returned to bring up their effects and family, and left a young daughter all alone to take care of the cabin.

"A young girl, on the spot where their buildings had been burned, surrounded by savage beasts and liable to be disturbed by savage men, consents to be the sole occupant of the premises for ten days, the time supposed to be necessary for the trip. But unexpected trials awaited her. The mother was found to be too ill to be removed, and a delay of more than a month was unavaidable. Provisions ran short with the little girl. * * * The Forsythes returned and called to see her, and tried to persuade her to go back with them. This she stoutly refused to do, and they left her some food, while she awaited the com- ing of the family. The shrill scream of the panther and howls of the wolf at night, added horror to her dreary situation in the wilds. Both these savage beasts had been heard upon her bark-covered cabin, hoping to gain admission. One night as she was lying upon her bed of hemlock boughs asleep, a panther unceremoniously came in through her blanket-door, tooked the jerked venison from over her head and then left again without doing her any harm. The animal was detected by his tracks the next morning. When a short distance from

Russell

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

her cabin one day, the sound of footsteps suddenly fell upon her ears. She was much alarmed at first, thinking that Indians were coming. Peering out from behind a tree she saw an enormous pack of wolves advancing, and, as she remarked, her fears were gone. Picking up a pine knot, she struck it against a tree, making a sharp, ringing noise, which frightened the grey denizens quite as much as she had been, and they turned and ran off as fast as their legs would carry them. She kept her post for about three weeks, when, after eating the last of her provisions, and seeing no prospect of relief, she set out to meet the family, or find a hut where she might procure some food. She had proceeded but a few miles, when at Gordon's Island, she discovered the boat with her family slowly ascending the river. The moment of deliverance from peril was not only a moment of pleasure, but of pleas- antry. The father inquired, 'Where are you going?' 'To Wilkes- Barre, to get something to eat,' replied the daughter. She was taken on board, and they reached home after an absence of five years."

The sequel of the story of this bold first settler of Bradford county may be properly here given in a few sentences. He was drowned in the river at a place since known as "The Fox Hole," breaking through the ice, March 4, 1806 ; he was by birth a German, born March 29, 1739, and was thirty-one years old when he first came. His wife was Catharine Elizabeth Miller ; she was born in Germany, May 4, 1748, and died April 10, 1810. The brave old pioneers sleep side by side in Cole's cemetery. Their daughter, Elizabeth Fox, was the first white child born in Bradford county, September 1, 1770. In this family were children as follows : Catharine, Mary, Philip, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Daniel, Rudolph, John, Anna, Eleanor, Susanna, Abraham, Marga- ret and Christiana. Many descendants are now living in the county, and have maintained the good name of the family-worthy sons and daughters, and noble parentage.

About the time of the first capture of Rudolph Fox a party of Indians plundered Mr. Fitzgerald's house and drove all his stock, and took him prisoner ; he lived at Standing Stone.

Lieut .- Col. Dorrance, with about 100 men of the Twenty-fourth Connecticut, made an expedition up the river as far as Sheshequin. They went to the wigwam of an Indian who was known to be in the English service to hunt for suspects whom he was supposed to be har- boring. They did not propose to molest Indians, but arrested him while searching his premises. He attempted to break away from his guard, Rufus Baldwin, who shot him through the body ; he recovered, however, and was at the battle of Wyoming. This was said to be the first bloodshed in this county in the Revolution. Dorrance captured and carried off several Tories, and pacified the Indians, but they soon broke out again more violently than previously. Thereupon was pub- lished an order, holding the following as prisoners of war, all from Bradford county : Richmond Berry, Edward Hicks, Jr., Jacob Bow- man, Adam Bowman, Jr., Jacob Bruner, Henry Hoover, Jacob Anguish and George Keutner. There were other prisoners from the valley, but the list given is confined to this county.

The year 1777 closed in uncertainty and gloom for the patriots of

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

this locality. All their surroundings were dark and foreboding. Tioga and Sheshequin were filled with fierce and arrogant foes, while the able-bodied whites were away in the Continental army. In January following, Lemuel Fitch, of Standing Stone, the first settler in the township, was captured and carried off to Canada, where he died. A party of Indians led by Terry and Green went to Wyalusing-a severe snow storm raging at the moment of their arrival. They secreted themselves in the old Indian town until the next morning, when they made a sally and captured Amos York as he came into the village on horseback ; his house was plundered and stock driven off. A short time after this, in the same place, they captured Nathan Kingsley and carried him and York to Quebec. Wyalusing was now abandoned by every white person-captured or fled the country. In March follow- ing, as soon as the ice was clear of the river, Lieut-Col. Dorrance again came up with 150 men for the purpose of aiding the remaining whites to get out of the country. A raft was made of the old Moravian church, and the people and some of their effects loaded thereon ; among others, the families of York, Kingsley, Benjamin Eaton, Fitz- gerald, Jonathan Terry and Christopher Hurlbut.

Old man Van Valkenberg and three daughters, and his two sons-in- law families and the Strope family, had not been molested, but had been assured by the Indians of their continued friendship and protec- tion. i But in time, they became alarmed, and Strope set out for Wyom- ing for aid to take his family down the river. Hardly had he left his family, May 20, when thirteen Indians rushed in and captured the inmates, burned the house and drove off the stock. The men captured at this time were sent to Niagara, but the women and children were kept until the war ended. Thus, piecemeal, the entire settlement was swept away. It is estimated that in the beginning of 1777, there were thirty-eight Whig families in Bradford county ; seven of these had en- listed in the two companies, and two had joined the militia company ; seven in the Van Valkenberg family were captured ; seven were killed by the enemy ; one died in captivity, and another soon after his release ; the total property of these people was destroyed, the cabins all burned, and the gloom and desolation brooded over the fair and once happy land, as if the angel of destruction had spread its wings and covered it in the shadow of death and utter ruin.

Of all these people the last to attempt to flee was Rudolph Fox, at the mouth of Towanda creek, and as soon as possible he gathered his effects and family and fled down the river.

Wyoming Battle .- The enemy now had undisputed possession of all that is Bradford county. The few people here, brave and patriotic men and women as ever lived, had stood as a barrier and shield to the older settlements against the mongrel enemies-the Indians, Tories and deserters and spies, who wanted this key to the great Susquehanna valley for the free going and coming of their marauding parties.

Maj. John Butler, of the English army, actively set about gather- ing and organizing a force at Tioga Point (Athens), and in June, 1778, had about 400 assembled there. He was soon joined by Joseph Brandt, and a descent was made on Cherry Valley, and a force under an

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Indian chief made a foray on the West branch, and in the meantime a large force at Newtown (Elmira) and Tioga Point were making boats with which to descend the river. They gathered in all about 1,100 men, under Butler, 500 rangers and the others, Indians and deserters. A great dog feast was indulged in at Tioga, preparatory to starting, and then, daubing themselves with paint and singing their war song, they floated out on their bloody mission to Wyoming. Butler concealed his movements with great cunning, and sent out small parties in different directions for the purpose of misleading the people along the way. The fortunate return of Mr. Jenkins from captivity at this moment was the first warning to the people of the coming attack. This was the second of June. The people assembled rapidly and sent a statement to Congress by carriers, and asked for military aid. The air was now filled with alarms, and every hour the gloom and sadness deepened. William Crooks and Asa Budd, both formerly of this county, were sent out as scouts, and were fired upon, and Crooks was killed and Budd narrowly escaped. Crooks was the first man killed in the Susquehanna valley in the war. Blood was now tasted and the dogs of war unleashed. Butler was capturing, killing or driving all before him.

Col. Nathan Dennison, commanding the militia, saw the impending danger, and sent out word for all to speedily assemble at Forty Fort. About 300 were thus called together, according to Col. Franklin's es- timate. Col. Zebulon Butler was put in command, and Cols. Dennison, Dorrance, and Maj. John Garrett were his aides. The commands were two companies from Wilkes-Barre, under Capt. James Bidlach, Jr.,and Rezin Geer ; Capt. Asaph Whittesy's company from Plymouth; a company from Hanover under Capt. Lazarus Stewart.

Maj. Butler invested the fort, and demanded a surrender, which was promptly refused. A council of war was held in the fort, and there was a divided opinion as to whether to go out and fight, or await the enemy's attack. It was expected that Col. John Franklin and his company would arrive during the night. Lieut. Timothy Pierce had just arrived from Spalding's company, and reported that that command could reach the fort in two days. Capt. Stewart favored an immediate attack on the enemy-vowed he could whip the whole of them with his one company and finally threatened to take his com- pany and return to Hanover if the attack was delayed, and unfortu- nately Butler yielded. The little army marched out to Abraham's creek, where it halted to await the attack. The enemy being con- cealed just in front of them, our forces marched into the trap. When within three hundred yards they deployed and opened fire ; the Americans poured a galling fire into the enemy and continued advanc- ing, when the enemy's line began to waver. At this moment the sav- ages rushed from their concealment in the flank and rear and attacked furiously,and now an order to fall back was mistaken for one to retreat.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 8

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340