USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 3
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Officers who marched with the Company: Lieut. Col. John Graham; Major Edward Coombs, Major John Cessna; Captain Obadiah Stillwell; Lieut. Moses Reed, Lieut. John Stillwell; Ensign Stillwell Troax.
Lientenant Levi Linn with Capt. Paxton; Private Corne- lius Troax with Capt. Paxton, and Private Joseph Troax, who died in the service, February 15, 1777, also with Capt. Paxton.
These officers marched with the company as volunteers and as privates, receiving the same pay and subsistence as they.
22
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
CAPTAIN JOHN BOYD'S RANGEING COMPANY, 1781.
Recruited in Bedford County.
John Boyd, captain, late of the Third Pennsylvania regi- ment; Richard Johnston. lieutenant.
Sergeants : Robert Atkins, Henry Dugan, Florence Grimes, David Beates, William Ward.
Privates : William Alligane, Stephen Archer, Isaac Arthur, John Arthur. Moses Bernan, Abraham Bodle, Joshua Burton, Daniel Covert, John Conrad, Richard Corps, Jacob Creviston, John Crossin, Ludwig Curtz, John Downey, Sr., John Downey, Jr, William Decker, Benjamin Frazier, Marshall Galloway, Daniel Glovert, James Grimes, John Grimes, James Hall, Sam- uel Haslett, George Jones, William Jones, Samuel Kennedy, Felix MeKinney, Joseph Martin. Samuel Moore, Michael Nich- olas, James Paxton. Henry Simons, Solomon Sparks, John Thomas, William Tucker and John Whiteacre.
Captain Boyd's company were assigned to scout the for- ests and guard the settlements from surprise and attacks by hostile Indians.
Captain Solomon Adams in 1781 had charge of a company of Rangers who were located somewhere in Brothers Valley, most likely in the vicinity of Johnstown, where he made his home. His company belonged to the Third Battalion of the Bedford County Militia, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Barnard Dougherty, and of which John Woods was major. The battalion was divided into eight companies thus: First com- pany, commanded by Oliver Drake; second, by Christopher Bridgely ; third, by George Hostadler; fourth, by Samuel Moore; fifth, by Peter Ankeny; sixth, by Solomon Adams; seventh, by William McCall; eighth, by Philip Cable. These assignments bear date of "20th April, Ano dom. 1781."
There was another company of Bedford township of which Solomon Adams was chosen captain. On September 29, 1781, the sub-lieutenant for Bedford county directed that an election be held to select officers, the result of which was: Solomon Adams, captain; Allen McComb, lieutenant, and William Clark, Jr., ensign. The judges of the election were Arthur McCaughey and James Fletcher; inspector, John McCaughey.
In addition to Felix Skelly, mentioned elsewhere, there were in 1840 several Revolutionary War soldiers residing in Cambria county, namely: Ludwig Wissinger, aged 84; George Lucas, aged 90; Plinn Hayes, aged 88; John Plott, aged 85; Gottfried Settlemyer, aged 88; and Samuel Cole, aged 79.
23
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
Richard Nagle also resided in Allegheny township, and in 1844 a Martin Rager assisted in celebrating the Fourth of July in Johnstown.
MASON AND DIXON'S LINE.
In view of the importance of this line being the boundary line between the Free and Slave States, frequently cited prior to the Civil war, and occasionally at this time, it becomes a part of our local history, inasmuch as the territory through which the line was run in this locality was Cumberland county.
The contention arose between the successors of William Penn and Cecilius Calvert, Lord of Baltimore, over the boun- dary line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1732 they agreed upon the line to the western boundary line of what is now Franklin county. In 1760 the frontier border had so advanced that the dispute became important, and efforts were made to have it located by commissioners of the two provinces, but after a delay of three years Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, eminent surveyors of London, were employed to run the line. They immediately came to this country and com- menced work, but it took almost two years to prepare the pre- liminary work. In the spring of 1766 they began again, and by June 4th had reached the top of the Allegheny mountains, at the point where Bedford and Somerset counties join, on the border line with Maryland.
On account of the Indian troubles nothing more was done until June, 1767, when these eminent surveyors started again, accompanied by a party of Indians from the Six Nations to pro- tect them from the hostile Delawares and Shawnees. The point where General Braddock crossed the Maryland line into what is now Somerset county was reached August 24th, 1767, but there the Iroquois escort left them. Mason and Dixon continued their survey to a point beyond the Monongahela river, when the actions of the Shawnees and Delawares became so vicious they were compelled to abandon the work and returned to Philadel- phia, where they were honorably discharged on December 26, 1767, after four years' service. During that time the Penns paid them thirty-four thousand two hundred pounds for their share of the expenses. About 1782 the line was completed by other parties.
The stone monuments used in marking this line bore the letter "P" on one side, and on the other "M," and were brought from England by Mason and Dixon. These stones were one
24
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
foot square. with a height of four and a half feet, and the weight of each was five hundred pounds.
In 1901 and 1903 the two states had the line re-surveyed. and finding many of the stone markers missing, a search was made. One was discovered doing duty as a door step; another in a bake oven, and two in the foundation for a church. Wher- ever it was possible the old markers were put back, even if broken, and, laid in cement, were made as permanent as pos- sible. The new monuments are of marble.
There have been two or three re-surveys of this famous line, but notwithstanding the great improvements in instru- ments and the progress of civilization from Indian warfare to peace, the line as originally run was found practically true at every point.
THE "WHISKEY REBELLION" OF 1794.
The contention which caused this outbreak of the people of Washington county, and even extended mildly into Quema- honing township, was the excise tax on whiskey.
The great Alexander Hamilton had suggested to congress the wisdom and justice of making a levy of four pence per gal- lon on all distilled liquors manufactured in the country, and on March 3, 1791. such an act was adopted. This tax was prop- erly acknowledged as a just law everywhere except in southern Pennsylvania, where all distillers became violent and refused to pay it. Their neighbors seem to have sympathized with them, and to some extent joined the force of resistance.
At that time there were several distilleries in Quemahon- ing township, of which the owners were: Christian Hipple. Philip Kimmel. Sr., Christian Levenstone, William McDermott and Michael Mowry.
The government and state administration used all the con- ciliatory efforts which were possible to prevent an outbreak, and were very lenient with the offenders permitting the time to pass until 1794, when an army was sent to put it down. The resisting parties hoisted flags with such inscriptions as, "Death to Traitors," "Liberty and No Excise," "Equal Taxation and No Excise," and "No Asylum for Traitors and Cowards."
President Washington and Governor Mifflin directed the enrollment of 5,200 soldiers from Pennsylvania, and 7,750 from New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. Washington appointed General Henry Lee, then governor of Virginia, commander-in-
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Reading Howell's Map, 1792, Bedford and Westmoreland.
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
25
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26
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
chief of the army. General Lee was known as "Light-Horse Harry," of Revolutionary war fame, and was the father of General Robert E. Lee, the famous Southern hero of the re- cent Civil war.
On October 19, 1794, President George Washington, Sec- retary Alexander Hamilton and General Henry Knox, Secre- tary of War, visited General Lee at Bedford, and remained two or three days before returning to Washington City.
The right wing of the army left Carlisle on October 22d, and marching through Bedford and Quemahoning township ar- rived at Mount Pleasant, where it encamped on the 29th. This wing was composed of Pennsylvania troops, commanded by Governor Mifflin. The left wing moved from Fort Cumber- land on October 22d, and marching over the route taken by General Braddock in 1755, also passed through Quemahoning township and reached Uniontown, where General Lee and the right wing arrived and went into camp on October 31st. The dissenters, seeing the nselessness of further resistance, ceased their warfares, and Washington granted amnesty to all who had been concerned in it, excepting those who had committed crime and were then in actual custody. General Lee moved his headquarters to Pittsburg on November 17th, 1794, and the army was then disbanded.
THE FORBES ROAD.
King George III desired to capture Fort Duquesne, which was then held by the French, and which General Braddock had attempted to do in 1755, when he met with death and disaster.
In December, 1757, the King commissioned Colonel John Forbes, "Brigadier General in America to command his Ma- jesty's forces in the southern provinces." General Forbes im- mediately began to organize an army for that purpose, and early in the summer of 1758 he had a force of 5,850 soldiers and one thousand wagoners. The place of rendezvous was at Rays- town (or Bedford, as it is known), which General Forbes did not reach until the middle of September. Prior to this Col- unel Boquet had taken about 2,000 Pennsylvanians and opened a road from Bedford to the Loyalhanna river, at Fort Ligonier. Excepting the military road of General Braddock in 1755, this was the first road used by wagons or artillery across the Al- legheny mountains, and passed through what was subsequently known as Brothers Valley township, and later as Quemahon-
27
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
ing township. The Forbes road passed near to what is now Stoyestown, abont eighteen miles south of Johnstown. It was substantially laid on the Indian trail between Bedford and Lig- onier, and passed through Kickenepaling, on the Quemalion- ing creek.
Colonel Boquet sent a reconnaissance of about eight hun- dred men, under Major William Grant, to ascertain the situa- tion at Fort Duquesne before the arrival of Forbes. Grant's force was defeated, and he was captured by the French and Indians under the command of Colonel Aubrey: General Forbes then moved his main army to Fort Duquesne, and on November 25th, 1758, entered it, finding that the enemy had evacuated and taken their departure down the Ohio river. Thereafter it was known as Fort Pitt, until the name was changed to Pittsburg.
Forbes street, which passes the entrance to the Carnegie Institute, in Schenley Park, is the continuation of the Forbes road which we have described. Also, that Frankstown avenne which intersects with Penn avenue in the East End is the con- tinuation of the Frankstown road, or the Galbreath road, which passed through Munster, and more particularly referred to else- where.
The war had now been active for more than a year. Onr troops, which were not supplied with proper arms nor with sufficient ammunition, were being defeated, and, becoming dis- couraged, believed they were in a losing contest. But not so; they never did better service; for these things occurring on the battle line were arousing a spirit of independence throughout all the colonies, which could not have been made effective in any other manner.
In May, 1776, the patriots of Pennsylvania were at work. Those who were prominent sent ont a circular inviting the lead- ing men of the several counties in the province to meet in Phil- adelphia, to adopt such a form of goverment "as shall, in the opinion of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular and America in general." In reply to this truly American doctrine, the delegates met in Carpenter's Hall, on June 18, 1776. The representatives from our county of Bedford were Colonel David Espy, Samuel Davidson, Esq., and Colonel JJohn Piper. After due consideration they adopted this resolution: "That the present government of this province is not competent to
-
28
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
the exigencies of our affairs, and that it is necessary that a provincial convention be called by this conference for the ex- press purpose of forming a new government in this province on the authority of the people only."
While this conference was being held, another one of much more importance was in session in Independence Hall, in the same city, a few squares away, formulating the Declaration of Independence which was given to the world on July 4, 1776. The delegates in this convention were Robert Morris, Ben- jamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson and George Ross.
CHAPTER III.
ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES-CAMBRIA COUNTY TAKEN FROM SOMER- SET AND HUNTINGDON-FIRST TOWNSHIPS IN CAMBRIA COUNTY.
A history is the recorded events of the past, therefore, we will locate the territory within the limits of Cambria county, so that its geographical situation will be clear, and the events which follow may be applied clearly and definitely.
The capital, or the county seat, for the transaction of the business relating to common affairs and the administration of justice, is Ebensburg, which was located at that place when the county was organized. The converging lines passing through Ebensburg are, one degree forty-five minutes and forty-four seconds (1 45' 44") west from Washington City, and forty de- gress thirty-four minutes and twenty seconds (40 34' 20") North Latitude. The county is on the western slope of the Al- legheny mountains; the eastern boundary line lies along the crest thereof, with Bedford and. Blair counties adjoining. It is about thirty-seven miles in length, with Somerset on the south and Clearfield county on the north: the westerly line is about thirty-three miles in length along the Westmoreland and Indiana county lines; its northerly line is about twenty-five miles in length, and the southerly line about twenty-one miles. Its area is 666 square miles, or 426,240 acres.
When William Penn laid out the city of Philadelphia and assumed control of the province of Pennsylvania in 1682, he created three counties, namely : Philadelphia, Bucks and Ches- ter. The latter included all the territory west of the other two, and of which Cambria was a part. Lancaster county was created in 1729; York in 1749, and Cumberland in 1750. It will be observed that civilization was moving westward, and in 1771 Bedford county was organized, being taken from Cumberland.
At the first session of the quarter session's court for Bed- ford county, on April 16th, 1771, almost its first official act was to create the township of Brothers Valley, the first township ever organized west of the Allegheny mountain. Its boundary lines were all the lands lying between the crest of the Allegheny mountain, the Youghiogheny river and the western foot of
30
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
the Laurel Hill, extending from the Maryland line northward to the Conemaugh river. It will be observed that it did not extend north of the Conemaugh or of the Little Conemaugh rivers. Elsewhere will be found an accurate list of the resi- dents of Brothers Valley in 1772, with such property as was assessable.
During the April sessions of the Bedford court, 1775. it made the new township of Quemahoning from the township of Brothers Valley. The boundaries of Quemahoning were: " Be- ginning where the Great Road, which is laid out through the Glades crosses the Allegheny Mountain near Burd's Gap, and along the said road to where it crosses the Laurel Hill at Matthias Ditches Gap; then along the Laurel Hill by the line of Westmoreland county to the head of the Little Conemaugh, and from thence along the dividing ridge between the waters of the Susquehanna and Little Conemaugh to the Allegheny Mountain, and by the same mountain to the place of beginning."
Huntingdon county was formed, in part, from Bedford county, September 20, 1787. The relevant boundary lines of Huntingdon were; "to the Gap at Jacob Stevens' Mill, a little below where Woolery's Mill formerly stood, in Morrison's Cove; thence in a straight line by the southerly side of Blair's Mill at the foot of the Allegheny Mountain; thence across the said mountain in a straight line, to and along the ridges dividing the waters of Conemaugh from the waters of Clearfield and Chest Creek's to the line of Westmoreland county; thence by the same to the old Purchase Line, which was run from Kit- tanning to the west branch of the Susquehanna river; and down the same to the mouth of Moshannon Creek, and along the re- maining lines or boundaries which now divide the county of Bedford from the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland and Franklin, to the place of beginning." (2 Smith's Laws, 418.)
The Assembly, by the act of April 17, 1795 (3 Smith, 229), authorized the organization of Somerset County, and described its limits, so far as being material, thus: "That all that part of Bedford County, lying and being to the westward of a line to be drawn along the top of the Allegheny mountain, from where the Maryland line crosseth the same to where the line of Huntingdon County crosseth the same mountain, shall be * called Somerset." This included the land up to the Huntingdon line, which is substantially all the territory south and southwest of the ridge dividing the waters of the Little
31
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
Conemaugh and the Susquehanna rivers, and all Quemahoning township.
The township of Cambria was created by the court of quar- ter sessions of Somerset county about 1798. The record has been lost, but it is certain that it was taken from Quemahon- ing township, and the assessments for 1798 show it was duly organized and included all the territory np to the Huntingdon line.
At the December sessions for Somerset County, 1798, a petition from the citizens of Cambria township was presented, as follows:
"Humbly showeth that the present boundaries of said (Cambria) township produce many difficulties and incon- veniences among which the following are conspicuous, viz: The inhabitants of that part of Cambria Township lying south of Conemaugh River in attending township meetings and elections are obliged to cross a dangerous water and travel through a wilderness of great extent to Beulah, whereas the center of Quemahoning township is not so great, nor the communication so much interrupted by water.
"The petitioners therefore pray that all that part of Cam- bria Township lying south of the following line, beginning at the Westmoreland County line where the river Conemaugh crosses it; thence up said river to the mouth of Stony Creek; thence up the Little Conemangh river following the South Fork to its source; thence due east to the line of Bedford County be an- nexed to Quemahoning Township, as being the most proper line of division between said townships, as well in point of con- venience to the inhabitants thereof, as it being the natural boundary and they will ever pray."
The same is marked granted.
Conemaugh township was organized by the court of quarter sessions for Somerset county, at its session held in February, 1801. The relevant portions of the boundaries were: "All those parts of Quemahoning township, thence along the Westmoreland County line to the river Conemaugh; thence in a straight line to the junction of the north and south branches of the Little Conemaugh river; thence up the south branch thereof to the head spring thereof; thence due east to the Bed- ford County line." Thus it appears that all the territory north of the straight line from the Little Conemaugh to the South Fork, thence to the Bedford line and south of the Huntingdon line was Cambria township, when it was in Somerset county.
In pursuance of the act of March 29, 1798 (3 Smith, 322).
32
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
authorizing the commissioners of these counties to run new lines. James Harris, James Wells and James Hunter did so on Octo- ber 30, 1798, which is recorded in Somerset county thus : "A plot of a line extending from a white oak on the summit of the Alle- gheny Mountains along the ridge dividing the waters of the Susquehanna and Allegheny Rivers until it meets a line drawn from the summit of Laurel Hill west of the Blacklick, along the ridge of said Hill, north eastward, separating that part of Somerset County from the Counties of Westmoreland and Huntingdon."
A drawing accompanying this report shows that the line along the ridge is about sixteen miles from the Bedford to the Westmoreland line, and less than ten miles along Westmoreland county to the Somerset line. It appears to be substantially the same as was made when Huntingdon county was formed. This division line is particularly noticeable along the Cambria and Clearfield railroad from Cresson to Kaylor's Station, touching it at many points on the ridge, beginning at the west leg of the "Y" at Cresson. The station at Kaylor's is almost on the dividing line. A drop of water falling on the northeasterly side of the track will flow into the Atlantic, and falling on the other side it will find its way to the Gulf of Mexico.
The court of quarter sessions for Bedford county, at the April sessions, 1775, created Frankstown township. This was twelve years before Huntingdon county was organized. It in- cluded all the territory in Cambria county north and northeast of the headwaters of the Little Conemaugh river and the Black- lick creek. The line was thus described in the order of the court : "Along the line dividing Bedford and Northumberland Counties from the West Branch of the Susquehanna to where the Little Juniata runs through Tusseys Mountains; thence along the said mountain to the ridge dividing Morrison's Cove from Coyle's Cove; thence along Dunning's Mountain to the dividing ridge between the waters of Dunning's Creek and the southwest branch of Frankstown Branch; thence along the ridge to the Allegheny Mountain ; thence cross the same and by the line of Quemahoning Township to the line dividing Bedford and Westmoreland Coun- ties, and by the said line and along the limits of this county to the place of beginning." These are the relevant courses for Frankstown township, and very clearly fix the division line along the Quemahoning township line.
Thus we have shown that Cambria was organized by taking
33
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
the township of Frankstown from Huntingdon county, and the townships of Cambria and Conemaugh from Somerset, and probably a small part of the northwest corner of Bedford county. It will be observed that the act authorizing the creation of Cam- bria county specifies that it shall include certain portions of "Huntingdon and Somerset" counties, and does not mention Bedford, but the records in the Department of Internal Affairs at Harrisburg claim that a part of Bedford was included.
The following is a list of the taxable inhabitants of Brothers Valley township, in Bedford county, in the year 1772. Brothers Valley township included all of Cambria conn- ty, and was organized in April, 1771 :
Name.
Acres.
Improved.
Horses.
Cows.
Henry Abrahams
100
12
2
3
Frederick Ambrose.
200
S
Samuel Adams
200
5
2
Solomon Adams
200
3
1
1
Richard Brown
300
6
1
4
John Bridges
200
3
2
1
John Baxter
200
8
2
1
Ludwick Boude
100
2
1
1
Christopher Benuch
200
3
1
1
Benjamin Briggs
300
2
2
1
William Cracart
200
4
1
Frederick Cefar
100
3
1
1
James Campbell
200
12
1
1
Abraham Cable, Esq. (See Colonial
Records. Vol. 10, page 8).
200
10
2
4
John Catta
200
4
2
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