History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 12

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

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" We, the subscribers, do most solemnly resolve, promise, and engage under the sacred ties of honor, virtue, and love to our country, that wa will use our utmost endeavors to learn the military exercise and pro- mote harmony aud unanimity in our respective companies ; that we will strictly adhere to the rules of decency during duty : that we will pay a dua regard to our officers ; that we will, when called upon, aup- port with our utmost abilities the civil magistrate in the execution of the lawa for the good of our country, and that we will at all times ba in readiness to defend the lives, liberties, and properties of ourselves and fallow-countrymien against all attempts to deprive ua of them.

" Extract from the minutes.

" By order of the Committee, " FRANCIE JOHNSTON, Sec'y."

The enlistment of soldiers was at once begun, for on June 29, 1775, at a meeting of several officers of the militia of Chester County, it was determined that for the better regulation of the 'military in this dis- trict it was advisable that a meeting of all the officers in the companies should be held at the public-house of Richard Cheyney, in East Calin, on the 21st day of July next, the day immediately after the Continental Fair, at which meeting it was proposed to divide the county into the most proper and convenient military districts, to form several battalions, and to elect field-

officers. The next day, June 30th, the Assembly by resolution recommended to the boards of commission- ers in all the counties in the province, " as they re- gard the Freedom, Welfare, and safety of their County immediately to provide a proper number of good new Firelocks with Baynets fitted to them, Cartridge Boxes with Twenty-three Rounds of Cartridges in each hox and Knapsacks," and in the apportionment five hun- dred of each of these equipments was the number the connty of Chester was directed to procure.1 By the same act the Assembly appointed a Committee of Safety, consisting of twenty-four members, those named from Chester County being Anthony Wayne, Benjamin Bartholomew. Francis Johnston, and Rich- ard Riley, only the latter residing within the territory now comprising Delaware County. On July 10th, for the first time, was any of the committee from Chester County present at the meetings of the body, and on that occasion Francis Johnston and Anthony Wayne both took part in the proceedings.

In a letter dated at Philadelphia, July 10, 1775,2 the writer says, "Travel through whatever part of this country you will, you see the inhabitants train- ing, making fire-locks, casting mortars, shells, and shots, and making saltpetre, in order to keep the gun- powder-mills at work during the next autumn and summer. Nothing, indeed, is attended to hut pre- paring to make a defence that will astonish the whole world."

On July 17th the Committee of Safety determined that eight good rifles should be assigned to each boat now building, a part of which were to be put into the hands of such men as Capt. Francis, of Philadelphia, and Col. Wayne, of Chester County, should engage to go as minute-men on the boats when required. At this time Wayne was colonel of militia only. The same day the committee requested " the good women" of the province to supply their family doctors "with as much scraped Lint & old Linen for bandages as they can conveniently furnish, that the same may be ready for the service of those that shall happen to be wounded in the defence of the country."

Considerable apprehension having been aroused among the members of the Society of Friends as to their position amid all this din and clash of approach- ing war, Congress, on July 18, 1775, by a resolution stated to those people "who from Religious Principles cannot bear Arms in any Cause, this Congress intends no Violence to their Conscience, but earnestly recom- mend it to them to Contribute Liberally in this time of universal calamity to the relief of their distressed brethren in the several colonies, and to do all other services to their oppressed country which they can consistently with their Religious principles."

The allusion to riflemen to be placed on the boats, who were to be men selected by Capt. Francis and Col.

] Colonial Records, vol. x. p. 279.

2 Hazard's Register, vol. iii. p. 248.

THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE TO THE BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE.

Wayne, related to the defense of Philadelphia from a threatened attack by British vessels of war; hence a brief account of those defenses, so far as they refer to the history of Delaware County, should not be omitted from this work.

The obstructing of the Delaware River by vaisseaux- de-frise was the suggestion of Dr. Franklin, who also strongly urged the building of galleys,-vessels of considerable size, propelled by oars, and intended to be armed with heavy guns, besides carrying a number of marines,-as well as locating fortifications at cer- tain places on the banks. The chevaux-de-frise, as the obstructions were popularly termed, consisted of large frames of timber, filled in with stones to cause them to sink, and from these frames huge beams shod with iron extended to the surface of the water. So ener- getically did Franklin labor, that although he had returned, May 5, 1775, after many years' absence in Europe, in four months he had three rows of these ob- structions laid, the fort at Red Bank completed, and seven of the galleys afloat. One of the rows of rais- seaux-de-frise was sunk within the territory now of Del- aware County, and extended across the main channel of the Delaware, opposite the upper end of Hog Island, and a mile and a quarter below Red Bank. Subse- quently a row was laid to Billingsport, N. J. On Sept. 13, 1775, Richard Riley, from Marcus Hook, wrote to George Gray,1 of the Committee of Safety, arguing that, as the provincial galleys would soon be finished, the entire fleet, in his opinion, should be stationed at the boundary of the province on the river, below the "shiver de fress's," and then, if they-the boats-"are any Protection, every Person above them will Receive a Benefit;" that as there was a large island opposite Marcus Hook, it would afford a harbor to the galleys; while if the fleet was stationed above the obstructions at the forts, "Chester and Marcushook may be re- duced to ashes before any Relief can be obtained, which would be a Considerable Loss, as all the Rec- ords & other public papers of the county is their." This matter of the defenses at Marcus Hook seems to have been presented to Council ; for on Nov. 16, 1775, it was resolved " that two tier of Chivaux de Frize be sunk, for the further Security of this province, in the Channel opposite or near to Marcus Hook."2 That this resolution as to locating obstructions at Marcus Hook was never carried into effect is apparent, for the proceedings of the Committee of Safety show that on Jan. 18, 1776, Col. Wayne states to the committee that as large vessels must come within musket-shot of the shore at and near Marcus Hook, in his opinion "a Line or two of Chevaux de Frize placed there would be of considerable Service. The Shore near this narrow channel is nearly as high as Red Bank, and a battery of Cannon there would greatly annoy an Enemy."" On Feb. 15, 1776, Richard Riley again

1 Pennsylvania Archivee, 2d series, vul. i. p. 550.

2 Colonial Recorde, vol. x. p. 404.

8 Pennsylvania Archives, 2d series, vol. i. p. 471.

wrote to George Gray,4 calling attention to the ex- posed condition of Marcus Hook, where, should the enemy come up the river, they would certainly land. He therefore urged erection of a battery on the shore, or the stationing of a floating one there, together with one or two companies of riflemen, to protect that part of the province, "now Intirely exposed, without the least defence or the least means for defence, being without Battery, arms, or ammunition, & of course, if left to continue, will be obliged to abandon their Habitations." In addition, as confirmatory proof that the obstructions did not extend below Chester, as late as July 24, 1777, Council ordered that before a master of a vessel could obtain an order for a "Chevax De Frize Pilot" he was compelled to swear that he would not permit such pilot to remain on the vessel from "the time she leaves the town of Chester."5 The purpose of this order was to prevent any person knowing the unobstructed channel from getting ac- cess to British vessels, and for a reward imparting that knowledge to the enemy.

Early in the fall of the year the galleys were ready, as already stated, and, on Sept. 22, 1775, the Commit- tee of Safety appointed Capt. John Moulder, of Mar- cus Hook, commander of the armed boat "Hancock ;" but the latter, on the 10th of October following, noti- fied the committee that he declined to act in that capacity.

The Committee of Chester County seems to have had no meetings during the summer, but in pursu- ance of a notice of the chairman, Wayne, they met on Monday morning, September 25th, at the Turk's Head Tavern,-now West Chester,-at which time the board of commissioners and assessors of the county were present. At this meeting the following dis- claimer of all treasonable intentions on the part of the colonies was adopted and published in the Phila- delphia newspapers of that day. The ignorance dis- played in that resolution of the tendency of public affairs might be pardoned in Wayne, who was an ad- mirable soldier but a wretched politician; but the committee certainly had among its members some men who could read the signs of the times better than to have issued such a document as that, particularly when it was known that statesmen like John Adams were openly advocating the independency of the colo- nies. The disclaimer was as follows :

" WHEREAS some persons, evidently inimical to the liberty of America, have industriously propagated a report, that the military associators of this County, in conjunction with the military associalors in general, in-

4 Ib., p. 572.

5 Ib., 501. Nearly two years before the order, Nov. 7, 1775, the Com- mittee of Safety had ordered that five of the ted licensed pilots should be in readiness et Philadelphia to carry vessels duwn to Chester, and, having performed that service, were immediately to returu hy land or in skifts to the city. The other five were to be at Chesler to bring ves- sele up the river, and are, immediately after pilotiog the vessel, to re- turn to Chester by skift or land. In Chester the pilote were directed to be at the house of Mrs. Withy, to receive applicatione from owners or mastere of vessels, every day from 10 to 1 o'clock, aud none are to be absent except when on duty .- Colonial Records, vol. x. p. 396 ..

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

tend to overturn the Constitution, by declaring an Independency in the execution of which they are aided by this Committee and the board of Commissioners and Assessore with the arms now making for this County ; and as such report could not originate but among the worst of men for the worst of purposes,-This Committee have therefore thought proper to declare, and they hereby do declare, their abhorrence even 'of an idea so pernicions in its nature; as they ardently wish for nothing more than a happy and speedy reconciliation, on constitutionel princi- ples, with that state from whom they derive their origin.

" By order of the Committee. " ANTHONY WAYNE, Chairman."

The committee, after adopting the foregoing docu- ment providing for an election by the people in the several townships on the 11th day of October follow- ing, for persons to serve on the committee for Chester County for the ensuing year, then adjourned to meet in the borough of Chester on that date. The next day, September 26th, the Council of Safety di- rected that an order for five hundred pounds should be drawn in favor of Chester County, the money to be expended in the purchase of arms and other munitions of war.

The Assembly, Oct. 19, 1775, reappointed the then Committee of Safety, and added new members thereto. So far as Chester County was concerned, the repre- sentation remained unchanged, excepting that it was increased by the appointment of Nicholas Fairlamb,1 the latter a resident of the present county of Dela- ware.

The new committee of the county of Chester which had been selected on October 2d, by which some slight change was made in the personnel of that body, met shortly afterwards, and gave official publi- cation to the following proceedings :

"CHESTER, Oct. 23rd, 1775.

" Pursnant to public notice given, the Committee met at the house of David Coupland, in the borongh of Chester. On motion ordered, that each member of this Committee do immediately make return to the Chairman, of the quantity of Powder which he already hes or may col- lect within his district, together with the price and the name of the owner thereof, that the same may be paid for.

"On motion resolved, that Anthony Wayne, Francis Johnston, and Elisha Price Esqrs., Mr. Richardsen, Mr. Knowles, Mr. Lloyd, and Mr. Braunan, be and they are hereby appointed a Committee of Correspond- ence for thie County.

" By order of the Committee. "FRANCIS JOHNSTON, Sec'y."

It may be doubted whether any of the muskets ordered for Chester County were delivered until this month, for on October 6th, Mr. Dunwicke, a gun- smith, "now employed in making the Provincial Muskets for Chester County," asked Council for an order on the commissary for two pounds of powder, " to prove some of them now ready." Which request was granted, and the commissary ordered to be present when the firearms were tried .?

The necessity for a more thorough organization in the several counties became so apparent that the As- sembly, on Nov. 25, 1775, adopted rules and regula- tions to that end, and at the meeting of the committee of Chester County, on December 26th, that body re-

1 Colonial Records, vol. x. pp. 373-74.

2 Ib., 356.

organized in conformity with the suggestions of the Legislature. At the same meeting the committee

" Resolved, that Anthony Wayne, James Moore, Francie Johnston, Esq., Dr. Samnel Kenedy, Caleb Davis, William Montgomery, Persifor Frazer, and Richard Thomas, Gentlemen, or any five or more of them, be appointed, and they are hereby appointed to represent the county (if occasion be) in Provincial Convention for the ensuing year."

The provincial authorities were very active in pushing forward military organizations, for Wash- ington was constantly drawing the attention of Con- gress to the fact that in a short time the term of ser- vice of many of the troops with him, besieging Boston, would expire, and the army must be filled with fresh men. On Dec. 9, 1775, Congress resolved that four battalions should be raised in Pennsylvania, and on the 15th provided that the Committee of Safety should be requested to recommend proper persons as field- officers, from which names Congress would select and commission the colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors. Of all officers below the rank of major, the Committee of Safety were to make the appoint- ments. On Jan. 2, 1776, the Committee reported the name of Anthony Wayne as colonel of the Fourth Battalion, which nomination was confirmed by Con- gress. On the 3d of January the Committee nomi- nated Francis Johnston as lieutenant-colonel, and on į the 4th, Nicholas Haussegger as major of the same battalion, which nominations were promptly con- firmed. The next day the Committee of Safety ap- pointed Persifor Frazer, Thomas Robinson, John Lacey, Caleb North, Thomas Church, Frederick Ver- non, James Moore, and James Taylor captains of the several companies of the Fourth Battalion, and they were commissioned as of that date.3 The battalion rendezvonsed at Chester on February 9th, and on the 17th, Col. Wayne reported that five hundred and sixty officers and men were present at camp, and that ten commissioned officers were absent, with recruits, the number of which was sufficient, he believed, to make the battalion complete. At that date he stated he "had only twelve rifles and twenty muskets," and was in want of every other article. On January 22d, Congress ordered the companies, as fast as they were equipped, to march to New York. Robinson's, Church's, and Lacey's companies, under the command of Maj. Haussegger, reported at New York on the 28th. The troops must have been housed even as far away from Chester as Darby, for on April 26th, Wayne arrived at New York, assumed command of his regi- ment there, and dispatched Maj. Haussegger to Phil- adelphia to immediately bring on the other five com- panies, and we find that the next day he ordered Capt. Lacey to return to Darby and settle for the board of his (Lacey's) men. Capt. Lacey always asserted that Wayne had promised to settle that account himself, and he sent him (Lacey) hack simply to have an op-

3 Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. x. p. 119-136. Fourth Pennsylvania Battalion, Col. Anthony Wayne.

THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE TO THE BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE.

portunity "to give the command of his company to his ' pet,' Capt. Moore."

On Jan. 17, 1776, five days before Congress ordered Wayne's battalion to New York, the Committee of Safety resolved : "That Col. Wayne, Col. Johnston, Mr. Bartholomew, & Mr. Riley be a Committee to Ex- amine the Fire-locks, Cartridge-Boxes, Knapsacks. &c., as ordered by Assembly to be provided for Ches- ter County ... and make return of the same to this Board."

The following day, January 18th, a member of the committee suggested that a thousand chosen riflemen should be recruited for the provincial service, which body should be stationed near Chester to harass the enemy in their march to Philadelphia, should they at- tempt the capture of that city.1 At that time the gen- eral confidence in the efficacy of the obstructions in the river was such that the thought of an attack by water was rarely entertained. The suggestion was adopted, and in the spring of 1776, Col. Samuel Miles was appointed to the command of a regiment of one thousand riflemen, formed in two battalions. This body of men must have begun to assemble at Marcus Hook and Chester early in April, 1776, for on the 13th of that month the Committee of Safety had a report from Col. Miles that there was not sufficient " houses or other buildings" in or about the towns mentioned to quarter the troops then being raised, and Council authorized Col. Miles to purchase one hundred good tents on the most reasonable terms he could.2 On April 17th, Caleb Davis made application to the com- mittee for money to pay for fire-locks made in Chester County for the use of the province. He received fifteen hundred pounds for that purpose, to the order of the commissioners and assessors of the county, and also one hundred pounds for saltpetre, and two quarter-casks of gunpowder were ordered to be de- livered to him.3 On March 25, 1776, Henry Fisher, at Lewes, Del., by express, notified the Committee of Safety that a sloop-of-war was coming into Whorekill " Road with a Small Tender," and it being night, he could not state whether she was bound up the bay or not, but every effort would be made to pre- vent her procuring a pilot. The express was started at seven o'clock on Monday evening, and reached Ches- ter by half-past two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, where, after stopping forty minutes, Richard Kane, the messenger, left that place for Philadelphia. On the receipt of the dispatch, Council ordered Commo- dore Caldwell to send four well-manned and armed boats down the river to Reedy Island, which galleys were directed to act with Capt. Barry of the brig "Lexington," and endeavor to capture the English vessel. Caldwell subsequently returned, for Council on April 30th ordered the fleet to go down the river again, if Mr. Mease and Mr. Morris thought it neces-

1 Pennsylvania Archives, 2d series, vol. i. p. 471.

2 Colonial Records, vol. x. p. 540.

sary. It was ordered down, and in the mean time, as constant reports were being sent to the committee of the daily progress up the river of the British men-of- war, on May 7th, Robert Towers was directed to de- liver to Col. Miles one thousand pounds of gun- powder and two thousand pounds of lead, "or as great a part thereof as is in store, and for the use of the Associators of Chester County, to be consigned there agreeably to Col. Miles' direction, 20,000 Car- tridges for Muskets." At the date just mentioned the " Roebuck" of forty-eight, and the "Liverpool" of twenty-eight guns, were off New Castle, bound up the river, and the galley fleet was ordered to attack them, while at the same time Col. Miles, who was at the meeting of the Council, went at once to Marcus Hook with some powder and lead for his riflemen, and the next morning marched one hundred and fifty of his men-all of his troops for whom he had equipments-to Wilmington, which place he reached in time (two o'clock in the afternoon ) to see the action between the galleys and the British ships. " I am con- vinced," he stated in his journal,4 " that had the gal- leys been sufficiently supplied with ammunition in due time (although one-half of them appeared very shy, and never came within point-blank shot of the ships) that these vessels, at least the 'Roebuck,' would have fallen into our hands." Council, on June 12th, ordered Col. Miles to furnish from the provincial troops under his command guards over the powder- house, over the military stores deposited at the State- House, as well as the materials collected for fire-rafts at Philadelphia, stating the reason for this order was that the Continental troops had been withdrawn. Col. Atlee, on June 13th, from Chester, wrote to John Morton 5 that, under Col. Miles' order, he had de- tached four companies of "musquetrey," under Col. Parry, to Philadelphia, and would be pleased if the remainder of his battalion could be ordered there, "that they might jointly be properly Disciplined." On the 17th, Atlee was directed to move his whole battalion from Chester to be quartered in the barracks at Philadelphia. On July 3, 1776, Congress desired the Committee of Safety to send as many troops as they could spare immediately to Monmouth County, N. J., and the same day it is noted that " In Conse- quence of the following Resolve of Congress, a Letter was wrote to Colo. Miles, requesting he would give orders for the most Speedy March of the Rifle Bat- talione to this city."6 From a letter written by Col. Miles to Richard Riley, dated July 10th, it appears that when the troops left Marcus Hook, in obedience to the foregoing order, a number of men inoculated for

4 Pennsylvania Archives, 2d series, p. 519. (See Pennsylvania Ar- chives, Ist series, vol. iv. p. 748, for Col. Miles' report. From some of the reporte made by the commanders of the galleys and l'enneylvania vessels of war, it is evident that they had no great longing for the allotted task, that of capturing the British men-of-war.)

5 Ib., let series, vol. iv. p. 772.

3 Ib., 545. 6 Colonial Records, vol. x. p. 628.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the smallpox had been left there under charge of Dr. Davis, who was afterwards ordered to join his com- pany in the Jerseys, and the sick men " still remained at the Hook under the notice of Doct'r Chapman." Col. Miles therefore desired Mr. Riley to see that these sick men were served with every necessary pro- vision.1

As stated in the letter hereinbefore quoted, giving an account of the activity in military affairs in the provinces as early as Jnly, 1775, the people were busy "in making saltpetre." Grave apprehensions were entertained early in the war that possibly that commodity could not be had in sufficient quantity to meet the demand in making gunpowder. To prevent such a disaster the Committee of Safety made extraor- dinary efforts to instruct the people in the manner of preparing the necessary article. Hence the following advertisement appeared in the Pennsylvania Packet in February, 1776 :

"TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE COUNTY OF CHESTER :

" Pursuant to the recommendation of the Committee of Safety for the Province of Pennsylvania to the Committee for Inspection for the County of Chester, Benjamin Braunan, Walter Fioney, and John Beaton were appointed to attend the saltpetre manufactory in the City of Philadel- phia, in order to perfect themselves in said art, We having complied therewith, do hereby give notice to all those whose public virtue and patriotic spirit would excite them to such a valuable and necessary un- dertaking st thie crisis of time; that attendance will be given at the honse of Benjamin Brannan, in Darby,2 on the 23d and 24th of Febru- ary ; at the house of Mr. Cochran, in East Fallowfield, on the 27th and 28th ; at the house of Mr. Whithy (Withy), in the borongh of Chester, on the Ist and second of March ; at the house of Mr. Hood, in Oxford, on the 4th and 5th ; at the house of Mr. Miller, in Birmingham, on the 6th and 7th ; st the house of Mr. Bell, in Kennet, on the 12th sud 13th ; and st the house of Walter Finney, in New London, on the 14th and 15th of said month, in order to teach and instruct all pereone who may please to apply at the times and places above mentioned.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 12

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