History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 10

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150

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In 1755 the English natiou suffered a disgrace far greater than defeat to her arms, and that was the vio- lent expatriation of the French Neutrals, or, as after- wards called, " Acadian exiles," from Nova Scotia. These unfortunates were the descendants of French parentage, and by the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, Great Britain had stipulated that these people should retain their lauds on taking the oath of allegiance to the English king, and were not to be required to bear arms against the Indians or the French. For nearly half a century both parties adhered to the terms of the treaty, but in 1755 the love of their ancient country animated a few of the Acadian young men to enlist under the standard of France, and at the capture of Beau Sejour three hundred were found in arms. A number of these, however, were unwilling soldiers, forced into the ranks. Governor Lawrence, of Nova Scotia, thereupon demanded of the whole population, amounting to over seven thousand souls, including

1 Andrew Wallace (better known as Sergt. Wallace, of Wayne's Bridge), in a sketch of his lifa published in Hazard'e Regieter, vol. xiii. p. 53, saya, " About the lat of May, 1754, I antered se a volunteer at Chester, and was appointed orderly sergeant in a company commanded by Capt. John Hannum." (This was about the commencement of what was termed the French war.) The company before referred to became a part of the regiment under the command of Col. Charlas Duck, of Virginia. " We were afterwards marched front Chester to the Gum-Tree Tavern, in Chester County, and from thence to Carlisle, where we were placed under the command of Maj. Samuel Hughs. From the last-mentioned place we were marched to Fort Chambers, now Chambersburg ; from thence to Fort Louden, to join the troops raised, sod to be commanded by Gen. Forbes, whosa division was a part of the army commanded by Gen. Braddock, lo the year 1755, as no part of the immediata command of Gen. Forbes was in that engagement." This statement was mada by Wallace in 1833, when he was a petitioner for & pension, and he stated he was one hundred and four years old. The aged veteran wae possibly in error in his date. He may have been in Forbes' expedition in 1758, but Forbes was not with Braddock in 1755. At the time Wallace places Haunum in command of a company the latter officer was not fourteen years of age.

2 Col. Samuel Miles' Manuscript, Feb. 4, 1802 : Penna. Archives, 2d seriee, vol. ii. p. 517.

3 Futhey and Cope's " History of Chester County," p. 51.

4 Smith's " History of Delaware County," p. 264.

6 Colonial Records, vol. vi. p. 729.

THE COLONIAL HISTORY TO THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

those who had not been in arins, to take the oath of allegiance to the British monarchy unconditionally. This being refused, because it was a violation of the treaty, Lawrence expelled the Acadians from Nova Scotia, confiscated their property (excepting their money and household goods), burned their dwellings, and wasted their estates. In this wantonly crnel act husbands and wives, parents and children, were torn apart and transported to different parts of the British American colonies, while the vessels which carried them were so crowded that many died on the voyage. On Aug. 11, 1755, Governor Lawrence wrote to Gov- ernor Morris, of Pennsylvania, that he had shipped one hundred and sixty-eight men, women, and chil- dren to the latter province.1 This letter, which was brought by the vessels on which the Acadians came, was received November 19th, and Council immedi- ately commanded that a guard should be placed over the ship to prevent the landing of the exiles, but fresh provisions and necessaries were ordered to be delivered on board, and continued to be sent until Council de- termined what should be done with these people.2 On the 25th of the same month Governor Morris, by message, informed the Assembly that he had the French Neutrals landed at Providence Island, as the doctor had reported that it would be dangerous to have them remain longer in the crowded vessel.3 Early in December it was officially reported that in the ships " Hannah," "Three Friends," and "Swan" four hundred and fifty-four out of the five hundred French Neutrals assigned to Pennsylvania had been received at Providence Island. Governor Morris, touched at the wrongs these unhappy exiles had suf- fered, strove earnestly to reunite those families which had been separated in transportation. On Feb. 20, 1756, the Assembly passed an act dispersing the Aca- dians in the several counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Lancaster, and making provision for their maintenance.5 By the act three commissioners were appointed in each of the connties named to dis- tribute the Acadians among the people, locating only one family in a township, and to have a supervisory care over them. Nathaniel Pennock, Nathaniel Grubb, and John Hannum were the commissioners named for Chester County. The Governor failing to approve the bill promptly, on March 3d a committee from the Assembly waited on him to know what " he had done" with it, and on the 5th he signed it. When the law was attempted to be enforced, the Neutrals claimed to be prisoners of war, but Governor Morris and Council, after considerable delay, decided, six months subsequent to the promulgation of the act, that under the treaty of Utrecht they were subjects of Great Britain.6 Jan. 14, 1757, an additional act was approved, empowering the binding out and settling of

the Acadians under age, and providing for the main- tenance of their aged, sick, and maimed at the ex- pense of the province. The unfortunate people, feel- ing the injustice that had been visited on them, having lost heart and refusing to work, were soon in the utmost want. One week subsequent to the passage of the law just mentioned, William Griffith informed Council that unless something was immediately done many of the French Neutrals would perish. Already death had been busy among them, for shortly after they landed more than one-half of them had died.7 On March 21, 1757, Governor Denny caused the arrest of five of the Neutrals at the request of Lord Low-' doun, two in the city of Philadelphia, one in Frank- ford, "Paul Bujaud in Chester, and Jean Landy in Darby," because they were " suspicious and evil- minded persons, and have and each of them hath at divers Times uttered menacing speeches against his majesty and his liege subjects, and behaved in a very disorderly manner."8 No wonder; for surely the poor men who were thrown in jail in Philadelphia had every reason to utter menacing speeches against the Hanoverian scoundrel who then sat on the throne of Great Britain. In Chester, before the act author- izing the overseers of the poor in the several townships to bind out the children of the Acadians, the former officials had in many cases refused to receive the ex- iles or minister to their wants, hence many of the latter had died with smallpox; but after the law of Jan. 14, 1757, became operative the condition of the Neutrals was considerably improved. The burden of their support, however, aroused the taxpayers of that day, and when four years later it was found that seven thousand pounds had been expended in the support of the exiles, a committee of the Assembly was appointed to inquire into the condition of these people, and to ascertain whether the cost of their maintenance could not be lessened. It was, after investigation, reported that the reason their children had not been bound out to service was mainly owing to the religious opinions of their parents, who feared that their offspring might be surrounded with objectional influences in the fami- lies of the English settlers or their descendants. The result of the report was finally the repeal of the law providing for the support of these exiles. The glamour of Longfellow's genius has made the wrongs of these Acadians more familiar to the popular mind than any of the many harsh and unjustifiable acts of ministerial minions in American colonial history, but to the stu- dent, the story of the banishment of these ignorant French people is a mere incident, the happening of which had little or no influence in shaping the direc- tion of events. Even at that time among the Northern colonies the impression was being made on some thoughtful minds that at no distant day there would be an absolute separation from the mother-country.

1 Colonial Records, vol. vi. p. 711.

$ Ib., p. 729.

" Ib., vol. vii. pp. 14, 15.

2 Ib., p. 713.

4 Ib., p. 45.

6 Ib., pp. 239, 240, 24I.

7 Gordon's " History of Pennsylvania," p. 500.

8 Colonial Records, vol. vii. p. 446.

1148909

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

In the summer of 1758, Brig .- Gen. John Forbes, as before stated, with three hundred and fifty Royal Americans, twelve hundred (thirteen companies) of Montgomery's Highlanders, twenty-six hundred Vir- ginians, and twenty-seven hundred Pennsylvania Pro- vincials, besides a thousand wagoners,1 set out from Philadelphia intending the reduction of Fort Du Quesne. Capt. John Hasslet, of New Castle County, recruited a company on the Delaware River, and the roll shows that Chester County contributed at least the following persons to the ranks2 of this organiza- tion :

Peter Allen, enlisted May 7, born in Chester Co., aged 22, and by oc- cupation a saddler.

William Boggs, enlisted May 6, børn io Chester Co., aged 40.

James Brieslin, enlisted May 12, hora in Chester Co., aged 17.

Edward Gallagher, enlisted May 12, born in Chester Co., aged 17. Thomas Harvey, enlisted May 12, born in Chester Co., aged 17.

John McAfee, enlisted May 8, horn in Cheater Co., aged 21, and by occupation a laborer.

James Thomas, enliated May 8, born in Chester Co., aged 22, and by occupation a lahorer.

Samuel White, enlisted May 10, bora in Chester Co., aged 26.

In the same month and year Capt. John Singleton enlisted a company of soldiers for Forbes' expedi- tion. The list of that organization shows that the following men were certainly from Chester County, and probably the number from this locality was greater than here represented : 3

William Henry, aged 22, resident of Chester, Pa., drummer.

Samuel Armitage, aged 27, resident of Cheater, Pa.

William Bevard, aged 28, resident of Chester, Pa., weaver.

Thomas Callican, aged 20, resident of Chester, Pa.

Thomas Connolly, aged 17, resident of Cheater, Pa.

Joha Cross, aged 25, resident in Chester, Pa., cordwainer, “ pock- pitt'd," "stout made."

John Cruthere, aged 16, resident of Cheater, Pa.

Hugh Davia, aged 20, resident of Chester, Pa., amith.

William Foster, aged 25, resident of Chester, Pa.

William Kennedy, aged 25, resident of Chester, Pa., weaver.

John Long, aged 24, resident of Cheater, Pa.

Edward McSorley, aged 22, resident of Chester, Pa.

Terence Kealy, aged 35, residing in Chester, Pa., "pock-pitt'd."

John Richeson, aged 27, residing in Chester, Pa., “ cocke nose and smooth faced."

Patrick Roe, aged 22, reaiding in Chester, Pa., "bold looking."

John Shannon, aged 23, residing in Chester, Pa., chandler, “ Irish- man."

Edward Sheppard, aged 21, reaiding in Chester, Pa., "red hair and thin visaged."

David Way, aged 24, residing in Chester, Pa., tanner. Coupland David.

Besides these organizations there was a company of Pennsylvania Rifles under Capt. West, an elder brother of Benjamin West, the painter,4 who was present with his command when, on Nov. 25, 1758, the standard of Great Britain floated over the blackened

and charred remains of the Fortress Du Quesne, and when the general, who had sworn the day previous to carry the works or leave his body beneath its walls, christened the heap of ruins Fort Pitt. The army having retraced its steps, the government the follow- ing year determined to rebuild the dismantled fortifi- cation, or to erect a new one on its site. Brig .- Gen. John Stanwick was placed in charge of this expedi- tion, he having, on the death of Gen. Forbes, suc- ceeded to the command. Troops were ordered to be enlisted, and on May 4, 1759, Gen. Stanwick gave notice that a number of wagons would be required, and in order to avoid the impressment of horses or wagons, a certain rate of compensation had been fixed by the authorities, which would be paid to those persons who would willingly furnish teams. From the county of Chester sixty-four wagons and four times as many horses were required.5 In the same locality a number of men enlisted, and doubtless the whole company recruited by Capt. John Mather, Jr.,6 was credited to Chester County, because Mather him- self was a resident of the borough of Chester, and the following men certainly resided in that neighbor- hood:

John Gorsel, aged 16, of Cheater, Pa., enliated June 8, 1759, lahorer. Evan Jones, aged 38, of Chester, Pa., enlisted May 27, 1759, Jahorer. Jacob Kirgan, aged 19, of Cheater, Pa., enlisted May 27, 1759, weaver. Hugh Wallace, aged 17, of Chester, Pa., enlisted June 12, 1759, shoe- maker.

In Capt. Robert Boyd's company appear the fol- lowing persons who were undoubtedly residents of Chester County :

James Campbell, aged 22, resides in Cheater, Pa., enlisted June 13, laborer.

James Darragh, aged 20, reaidea in Chester, Pa., enlisted May 11, laborer.

Samuel Fillon, aged 18, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted June 6, tailor.

James Hamilton, aged 21, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted May 21, laborer.

George Matthews, aged 18, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted June 2, laborer.

Robert Sandford, aged 23, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted May 25, laborer.

John Small, aged 22, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted May 1, laborer. Jobn Travers, aged 20, resides in Cheater, Pa., enlisted May 14, tailor. Joha Willson, aged 20, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted May 7, tailor.

In Capt. James Armstrong's company from Chester County were

William Moore, aged 17, resides in Chester, Pa., enlisted May 9, hatter by trade.

James Parr, aged 16, residea in Cheater, Pa., enlisted May 9, lahorer.

In Capt. Jacob Richardson's company, Third Bat- talion provincial service, under command of Gover- nor William Denny, appears the following :

William Cassiday, aged 21, resides in Cheater, Pa., enlisted Aug. 20, carpenter.

These are all the persons which can absolutely be designated as belonging to Chester County, but the

I Penna. Gazette, 1758, No. 1553. Winthrop Sargent, in his “ History of Braddock'a Expedition," page 270, make a difference in the number of men in Forbes' command. He places the Virginia troopa at sixteen hundred men.

3 Penna. Archives, 2d seriea, vol. ii. p. 551.

3 1h., p. 553.

4 Sargent'a " History of Braddock'a Expedition," p. 274. Mr. Sargent cites, in reference to the search of Sir Peter Halket for the remains of his father, alain in Braddock's defeat, a statement that the English nobleman was accompanied by Capt. West. Galt's "Life of West," p. 65.

5 Penna. Archives, lat seriea, vol. iii. p. 628.

G Ih., 2d series, vol. ii. p. 588.

THE COLONIAL HISTORY TO THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

foregoing is but a very small part of the men who en- listed from this locality.

The wagons required by Gen. Stanwix, so far at least as Chester County was concerned, seem not to have been forthcoming, for on Aug. 13, 1759, he wrote to the Governor from Bedford,1 complaining that Lan- caster County was the most backward, but that " Bucks

The power and wealth exhibited by the colonies and Chester have given us only Nominal Assistance, | during the French war amazed the home government, by sending us impressed Waggons, unfit for this Ser- vice, by the Weakness of the Horses and Carriages. The Managers meet with more opposition in these two Counties than in any of the others, as the Magis- trates seem unwilling to disoblige them; and unless they are spurred by the fear of incurring your Dis- pleasure, I am afraid they will not exert their Au- thority in such a manner as will Answer the Pur- ·pose."

Notwithstanding the constant assertion of Gen. Stanwix, the number of horses and wagons furnished by Chester County, according to the account-book of Roger Hunk,2 was not inconsiderable, particularly when we consider that the expedition really was of little moment in the shaping of events, and was use- ful only in that it made permanent the settlement then first called Pittsburgh.

The history of the province at this period is exceed- ing interesting, but, strange as it may appear, for almost a decade no event of sufficient importance to impress itself on the fleeting years seems to have oc- curred in our county. The French war, which was most honorable to the colonial arms, was approaching its conclusion, and in 1761, after the subjugation of Canada was complete, the whole of the provincial forces raised by Pennsylvania were discharged, except- ing one hundred and fifty men. Considerable alarm

Delaware, viz .: St. Paul's, at Chester; St. John's, at Concord ; and St. Martin's, at Marcus Hook. 1768 " was a year of jubileet for our good people, for the commissioners and assessors, after inspecting into the affairs of the county, " find no necessity for raising a tax this year."

hence Mr. Grenville, in his desire to relieve the press- ure of taxation at home,-the result of that war,-as well as to personally acquire reputation as a shrewd financier, proposed to raise a revenue from the col- onies for the direct use of the British treasury. The scheme was not devoid of arguments to commend it to a debt-ridden people, yet the history of the prov- inces ought to have clearly demonstrated that such a measure would be met with determined resistance. The decided stand taken by the latter in 1754, when a plan for colonial taxation was suggested, should have fully indicated the temper of the people, who, when- ever called on, had freely contributed pecuniary aid to the king by a vote of the Assembly, but who had always denied the right of the English Parliament to levy taxes on the provinces unless the latter had rep- resentation in the home legislative bodies. And per- haps no more objectionable form could the duties be ¡ made to assume than that which levied a tax on colonial imports, which resulted in almost destroying the colouial trade with the Spanish and French West India islands. It is unnecessary for me to discuss further this topic of colonial taxation, the resistance to which finally culminated in the Revolutionary war, and subsequently the formation of the United States as a nation.

It seems that Chester was the outpost where the was felt along the Delaware and at Philadelphia when ; customs officer was stationed to board vessels and pre- the intelligence was received that about the beginning clared war against Spain. The defenseless condition of the city of Philadelphia, its wealth and importance, it was feared would attract the combined naval power of France and Spain to attempt its capture, therefore the Assembly, which had been hastily convened, appro- priated twenty-three thousand five hundred pounds, the parliamentary allotment for 1759,3 to the defense of the city, and also voted five thousand pounds to erect a fort mounting twenty guns on Mud Island, at the site of the present Fort Mifflin. However, the prov- ince breathed more freely when, in January, 1763, news was received that on the 3d of November, 1762, peace had been proclaimed with both France and Spain. vent violations of the revenue laws. We learn that of the year (January 4th) 1762 Great Britain had de- ; on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 23, 1771, about four o'clock, Alban Davis, who was attached to the cus- toni-house schooner then lying off Chester, noticed several vessels coming up the river, among the num- ber a light brig and a pilot-boat. Capt. Thomas Mus- kett, of the revenue cutter, boarded the pilot-boat, and signaled the schooner to come alongside. The crew on the pilot-boat then stated they wished to go down the river, which brought the inquiry from the officer what was their cargo, and the command to open the hatches or he would seize the vessel. Those in charge of the craft being insolent, the officer " put the broad arrow on the boat's mast." Whereupon the captain of the latter said that, as he had no further business on the vessel, he would go ashore. The rev- In 1765 we find that no less than three lotteries were authorized by the Legislature for the benefit of churches within the territory of the present county of enue cutter and her prize, lashed together, had sailed up abreast of Red Bank, when the ebb-tide compelled them to anchor. Shortly before ten o'clock that even- ing, a pilot-boat coming down the river stood directly for the government schooner, when Capt. Muskett

1 Colonial Records, vol. viii. p. 376.

2 Fnthey and Cope's " History of Chester County," pp. 54-58.

3 Gordon's " History of Pennsylvania," p. 393.

4 Smith's " History of Delaware County," p. 274.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ordered them to keep off or he would fire at them, and was answered that he might fire and be damned, the river was as free to them as the cutter. Bearing down, the pilot-boat came alongside, when a man leveled a blunderbuss at Capt. Muskett, and gave him the choice to surrender or have his brains blown out. Even be- fore the captain could make the selection about thirty men, armed with cutlasses and clubs, boarded the schooner, knocked down the captain and two of his men, and threw them into the hold, then fastened down the hatches. The captors ran the schooner ashore, cut her rigging and sails to pieces, and, un- lashing the prize, sailed away with it. On December 5th Governor Richard Penn issued a proclamation, offering a free pardon to any one who should give in- formation by whom the act was done.1 But nothing was learned of the men who had thus boldly set the law at defiance.

The Navigation Act, which interdicted colonial trade with foreign nations, compelling the purchase of all goods from England directly, as before stated, aroused

1 Penna. Archives, 1st series, vol. iv. p. 445; Colonial Records, vol. x. pp. 8-14. To show the unpopularity with which the custom-house offi- cers were regarded, even emong that class of the colonists whose feelings leaned towards the doctrine that the king could do no wrong, the fol- lowing case ie a good example: On Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 8, 1775, Francis Welsh, in a boat with four men, boarded the schooner " Isabella" off Gloucester Point, and was told that the vessel was in ballast from Portemonth, New England, whereopon the officer ordered the hatches to be removed. Capt. John Ritchey drew a pistol, declaring the first man who should attempt to search the schooner "he would blow to h-1." The pilot wanting to be put ashore, Officer Welsh remarked that no man should leave the vessel, lmt Ritchey ordered a bost manned, and the pilot was landed. Ritchey subsequently told Welsh that the schooner belonged to Capt. David Campbell, who was the sole owner, and every dollar he had in the world was in her and the cargo, which coneieted of dry goods and other dutiable or contraband articles from Dunkirk, France. Welsh was permitted to look around the cabin, and saw, among other things subject to impost duties, thirty pounds of tea. That oight, abont nine o'clock, Capt. Campbell, the pilot, and two gen- tlemen came aboard, bot the latter went away, and about an hour later three other gentlemen hoarded the boat, who told the officer that he ought not to pursue Capt. Campbell, for it would ruin hin. They of- fered Welsh twenty-five guineas, and promised him more if he would let the vessel go. Ahoot two o'clock at night Welsh formally seized the " Isabella" in the king's name, and ordered his men to take the helm. Upon this Campbell said the king never paid for her, and, drawing a pistol, put it to the pilot's head, swenring that if he did not run the ves- sel down the river without putting her ashore he would kill him, On the next ebl-tide the schooner was abreast of Chester. Welsh and Campbell went ashore to get something to eat, and while in the town the officer inquired for a justice of the peace. He went to Francie Rich- ardeon, but he was ill, and afterwards to Henry Hale Graham, whose sympathiee leaned towarde the crown, but he told Weleh that he had no authority to go on board any vessel. Welsh then called on Sheriff Ver- non, the most pronounced loyalist in the county, and the latter stated he would go and eummoo soure men to aid him, but he never came with the posse comitotus, and Welsh agsin boarded the buat, which, on the ebb, weighed anchor and got to New Castle before the tide changed. Here the officer tried to get assistance, but all the local authorities there begged to be excused. Welsh clung to the "Isabella" until she got within five miles of the Capes, when Capt. Ritchey ordered him and his men into their buat, and they were compelled at midnight to row for shore, which they reached after three hours' constant work. The col- lector of costome complained to the Governor and Council against the magistratee who hsd refused to aid his officer, but he was informed that the jurisdiction of any county in the province did not extend to the river, and magistrates therefore could not legally give any assistance in these cases. See Colonial Recorde, vol. x. p. 230.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 10

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150