History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 19

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

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6 Bulletin Pennsylvania Historical Society, No. 10, March, 1847, p. 15. Robert Morton (Penna. Mag. of History, vol. i. p. 28) says the troops num- bered three thousand five hundred. Maj. John Clark, Jr. (Penaa. Ar- chives, let series, vol. vi. p. 23) in a letter to Paul Zantzinger places the command at three thousand, and in his letter to Washington in the Historical Society's Bulletin, the first citation of authority in this note, he makes the number five thousand. Clark seems to have made a mistake of one day in the date he gives in the letters just quoted. He reports Cornwallie ae coming from Philadelphia on the 17th instead of the 18th, and his crossing to Billingaport on the 18th instead of the 19th.

7 Peuna. Archives, lat series, vol. vi. p. 27.

8 Gen. Howe's report, dated Nov. 28, 1777. Hazard's Register, vol. ii. p. 288.

9 John Clark, already quoted, saye there was a captain, a eergeant- major, and three privates killod on the part of the English. Morton saye there were two grenadiers killed in the British forcee, and Mon- treseor put the enemy's loss & sergeant-major. I have followed Morton both as to the number of mew under Cornwallis, and the number killed at the Blue Bell.

CONCLUSION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

floating batteries to prevent them from falling into Darby. On the 10th, the next day, from Matson's Ford he returned to Haverford, his command en- camping for the night at the hillside on which Haver- ford meeting-house stands, and the next day he re- turned to Philadelphia. The residents of those town- ships had cause to remember the merciless plunderings of the British troops during that raid. the hands of the enemy. On the 20th, at mid-day, Cornwallis took possession of Fort Mercer, the force under his command amounting to six thousand men. Thus the great water-way-the Delaware-was opened to the British fleet, and supplies could easily and without opposition be forwarded to the city in vessels of light draught. Notwithstanding the river was We learn that at this period some of the militia of Chester County had organized as a troop of horse, for on December 19th, Council ordered that in addition to their pay as infantry they should be allowed all the expenses of forage, when it could not be supplied by the commissary. In the same month Lord Cornwallis had been sent to England by Gen. Howe as bearer of dispatches, and subsequent thereto the English com- mander-in-chief, on December 22d, with seven thou- sand men marched out from Philadelphia, leaving Gen. cleared to the enemy their ships seemed not, in most instances, to have gone above Chester. The day that Cornwallis crossed the river to Billingsport, Maj. Clark, who was then at Mrs. Withy's tavern, now the Columbia House, stated that "eighty sail lie op- posite to Bridgeport." Capt. Montressor's journal shows that in most instances the British vessels as- cended the Delaware no higher than Chester. On Nov. 21, 1777, he records : "This morning sailed from Chester, dispatches for New York." On April 8, | Knyphausen in command in that city, and encamped 1778, he tells us: "Arrived the 'Brune' frigate at Chester, having sprung her mainmast in the late Gale. Arrived also the 'Isis,' ship of war, with 8 transports, part of 12 separated in ye gale." On the 22d : "This day arrived at Chester a fleet of 35 sail from New York with forage, &c. Also arrived the 'Eagle' (the flag-ship) with Lord Howe." On the 28th, " The 'Lord Hyde' Packet only sailed from Chester this morning," and on May 7, 1778, "The 'Porcupine' sloop of war arrived at Chester this evening from England, where she left 25th of March last." Joseph Bishop, an octogenarian resident of Delaware County, who died many years since, related that when a boy he stood ou the porch of Lamoken Hall, now the Perkins mansion, in South Ward, and watched the fleet practicing, and on several occasions when receiving distinguished passengers, the yard- arms were manned and the vessels gayly dressed with many flags and streamers. Even Gen. Howe, when he sailed for Great Britain, was compelled to descend to the vessel by land, for on May 26, 1778, Montressor notes: "Early this morning sailed from below Bil- lingsport for England the ' Andromeda' frigate, Brine commander, in whom went General Sir William Howe." The day before Montressor had gone with Howe to Billingsport.

When it was determined that the Continental troops should go into winter quarters, the English general must have been speedily apprised of that movement, for on the 11th of December, the very day the army under Washington began its march from Whitemarsh to Valley Forge, and a portion of his troops had crossed the Schuylkill at Matson's Ford, Cornwallis was in force on the other side, where Gen. Potter mnet him, we are told by Washington, " with a part of the Pennsylvania militia who behaved with great bravery, and gave them every possible opposition till he was obliged to retreat from their superior numbers." Cornwallis had in all probability made this movement as a reconnoissance, for portions of his command had been in the townships of Radnor, Haverford, and

on the heights of Darby, his lines extending along the road from Gray's Ferry to the heights below the vil- lage, extending along the Springfield road to the dwelling then of Justice Parker, while their pickets in that direction were at the intersection of Providence and Springfield roads, near the house then of Mr. Swain. This movement of the British general was made for the purpose of protecting the transporting, by water, of a large quantity of forage, which the enemy had collected from the islands and in the neigh- borhood of Darby. Gen. Howe states that about a thousand tons were secured in this raid, sufficient, he estimated, for the winter consumption of the British army.1 On the 24th, Col. John Bull notified Presi- dent Wharton that "By Certain Intelligence Just Recd from Head Quarters the Enemy are in a Large Body in Chester County with Genl. Howe at their head," and in consequence of that movement he had been ordered to march to Germantown or below, towards the enemy, with six regiments of militia. Gen. Pot- ter, in a letter dated from Radnor, Dec. 28, 1777,* wrote to President Wharton that to annoy Howe as much as possible, a detachment of Continentals with Morgan's riflemen had been sent from the American encampment to operate in connection with the militia under his command, and that they had kept close to the enemy's lines ; that on Tuesday, the 23d, thirteen of the British light horses had been captured, and ten of their horsemen, while the next day two more of their horses and riders had been taken. The activity of the Americans had prevented the enemy from plundering the inhabitants, as they usually did, but there had been little skirmishing, and but one of the American soldiers had been killed and two wounded, while upwards of twenty of the English had been captured, and a number of deserters had made their way to his lines. On the other hand, Gen. Howe re- ported that "the detachment returned on the 28th of

1 Gen. Howe's report, Jau. 19, 1778. Hazard's Register, vol. ii. p. 288. 2 l'enna. Archives, let series, vol. vi. p. 141.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

December without any further attempt from the enemy to retard the progress of the foragers, than from small parties skulking, as is their custom, to seize upon the straggling soldiers. One of these parties, consisting of two officers and thirty men, were decoyed by two dragoons of the Seventeenth Regiment into an am- buscade and made prisoners." Potter, it seems, agreed with Howe in the results of this raid, for he stated that the English had carried off large quantities of hay, and had provided themselves with winter fuel and forage, "and will bless themselves, and sit down in peace this winter in the city." Perhaps the militia- men captured by the British, mentioned by Howe, was the same party of whom Dr. Smith records, that, under the command of Capt. William Brooke, of Haverford, -who during the second war with England was a general of the Pennsylvania troops,-they were enjoy- ing themselves in a house a mile below Darby, when the enemy suddenly surrounded the house. Brooke jumped from a window and made his escape, but in getting over a fence found that in his leap he had partially dislocated his foot, to which he was subject. " Putting his foot through the fence, and giving his leg a quick extension, the joint was brought into a proper condition," and he continued his flight until he reached a place of safety.1

While the British forces held possession of the city and river, many acts of inhumanity are recorded of their foraging-parties. The marine service was more objectionable in that respect than the army, and many cases are recorded of this brutality.

Notwithstanding his advanced years, David Coup- land, of Chester, was earnest in his advocacy of the cause of the colonies, and previous to the battle of Brandywine having entertained the Marquis de Lafay- ette at his home, he became very obnoxious to the Tories ; hence, when the British authority was tempo- rarily supreme, he was held under suspicion of com- municating with the Continental authorities. In the spring of 1778, when the " Vulture,"2 a British man- of-war, lay off Chester, in the middle of the night, a boat's crew came ashore, and, going to David Coup- land's dwelling, the present Stacey house, he was taken out of bed and conveyed to the vessel, where he was detained for many weeks a prisoner. His age, as well as the anxiety consequent on his forced detention from home, his inability to learn aught of his family, the exposure and harsh treatment, induced a low, ner- vous fever. At length, when the disease began to assume alarming symptoms, the commander of the " Vulture" had him conveyed ashore and returned to his home, hut without avail. He died previous to Aug. 26, 1778, for his will was admitted to probate at that date. About the same time Capt. John Crosby, of the militia in the Continental service, was captured at his home and taken on board the vessel of war,

sent to New York, and detained there in the old " Jersey" prison-ship for six months. So extreme were the privations and hardships he had to undergo, that for the remainder of his life he suffered from their effects.

The incidents happening during the Revolutionary struggle within the territory now comprising Delaware County were few, and generally comprise the adven- tures of a resident seeking to save his property from seizure, or an American soldier who, while on leave of absence, had had narrow escapes from being cap- tured by the British troops. Most of these events which have come to my knowledge will be related in the history of the townships wherein the incident happened. Still, it should be remembered that while the army lay at Valley Forge the authorities were active in preparation to place the forces in as effective condition as their limited means would permit. Hence, on Jan. 9, 1778, Col. Thomas Moore was appointed wagon-master of Chester County, and on the 30th of that month a requisition for sixty wagons was made on the county, and on February 17th, recruiting being enjoined to fill out the de- pleted regiments, Council, on Washington's recom- mendation, ordered Lieut. James Armstrong, Lieut. John Marshall, and Lieut. William Henderson to Chester County in that service. On March 11th, Robert Wilson was appointed one of the sub-lieu- tenants of Chester County instead of Col. Thomas Strawbridge, and on the 23d of that month Col. An- drew Boyd, holding the like office in the county, re- ceived two thousand musket cartridges for the use of the militia, in all probability for the use of the men instructed to prevent the farmers of the county car- rying to Philadelphia and the enemy their produce, an act on their part which might call down upon them the severest punishment, since Council had au- thorized persons so violating their orders to be subject to military law, and if found guilty to pay the penalty with their lives.

The collection of the militia fines was a frequent source of trouble in Chester County, and on several occasions we find that complaints were made to Council by the officers there that they were unable to execute the duties imposed by law upon them. On May 22, 1778, Col. Boyd, one of the sub-lieuten- ants, represented that in the townships in the south- easterly parts of the county,-necessarily part of the present county of Delaware,-many of the inhabit- ants were "disaffected," and "in a riotous & seditious manner commit Treason & felony, & oppose the exe- cution of the Law." The lieutenant of the county, Col. - Smith, was thereupon instructed to select seventy-five men from the militia, with a captain, lieutenants, an ensign, and the proper number of non-commissioned officers, which company was to be employed in arresting all persons who should so re- sist the execution of the laws. This specially-detailed body was placed by Council in charge of Col. Boyd,

1 Smith's " History of Delaware County," p. 325.

: Martin's " History of Chester," p. 175.

CONCLUSION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

who was expected to use the men only in making arrests, but "that nothing be done by them by way of Punishment," which was to be reserved until trial and sentence, for any other course would "be dis- creditable not only to Counsel but to the cause of Freedom." However, on June 4th, Cols. Hannum and Cheyney informed the authorities that there was no occasion for the guard of men mentioned in order to collect the fines for non-service in the militia; that the ravages made by the enemy in their march through and raids in the county, as well as the great quantities of provisions, forage, and other supplies furnished to the American army were such that the residents there had great difficulties in raising money for substitutes and militia fines. Council thereupon ordered the company of soldiers under Col. Boyd to report to camp, and directed that in all cases where' the parties to whom the certificates for articles fur- nished the government tendered those certificates in payment of their substitute money or for fine, they should be accepted by the officers, but this tender was not to include any who had obtained a certificate by assignment.

On May 6, 1778, Council appointed William Evans, Thomas Cheyney, Thomas Levis, Patterson Bell, and John Hannum to act as commissioners for Chester County in enforcing the act of attainder, and on July 15th the Supreme Executive Council issued a pro- clamation calling on a large number of persons "who it is said have joined the Armies of the Enemy to render themselves & abide their legal trial for their Treasons, &c.," and among the number were the fol- lowing persous formerly residents of that part of Chester County which is now included within the present boundaries of Delaware County :

" George Davis, Husbandman, now or late of the Township of Spring- field; John Taylor, Tavern-keeper; John Moulder, Waterman; John Talbot, wheelwright; & Thomas Barton, Sawyer, all now or late of the Township of Chichester; . . . Edward Grissil, Laborer ; & Joho Wilson, Taylor; both now or late of the Towuship of Thornbury ; William Mil- son, Taylor; Isaac Bullock, Laborer; Benjamin James, Cooper ; & John Bennet, Jun'r, Laborer; all now or late of the Township of Concord ; . . . William Maddock, Tavern-keeper ; William Dunn, Laborer ; Joseph Edwards, Mason ; George Dunn, Taylor; James Malin, Laborer, & Gideon Vernon, Husbandman; all now or late of the Township of Provi- deuce ; And Christopher Wilson, Husbandman, & Jolın Taylor, Grazier, both now or late of the Township of Ridley : ... Joshua Proctor, laborer, now or late of the Township of Newtown ; Aaron Ashbridge, Water- man ; Joseph Gill, Malster ; Elias Wernon (" Vernon"), Taylor ; all now or late of the Township of Chester; And David Rogers, Carpeuter, now or late of the Towuship of Egmant; And John Supplee, William Cald- well & James Hart, Husbandmen ; John Musgrove, Trader ; and Willism Andrewa, Fuller ; all now or late of the Township of Darby; And Wil- liam Smith of Tinicum Island ; & William Anderson, Laborer, hoth now or late of the Township of Ridley ; Heury Effinger, Junior, Hugh O'Cain, William Kennedy, Darby O'Cain & James McClarin, Laborer ; & Isaiah Worrell, Miller, All now or late of the Township of Springfield ; And Isaac Buck, Abraham Talkenton, Thomas Burns, William Clarke & George Good, laborers; and William Henry Taylor; all now or late of ' the Township of Providence. And George Dunn & David Malis, Tay- lors ; & William Bell, Laborer ; all now or late of the Township of New- town ; and Robert Kissack, Weaver ; James Brown, Wheelwright ; James German & Enoch German, Cordwuiners ; & Michael Crickley, Laborer; all now or late of the Township of Haverford, all now or late of the County of Chester. ... And Malin Duun, Taylor ; now or late of the Township of Providence; have severally adhiered to & knowingly & wil-

lingly aided & assisted the Enemies of the State & of the United States of America, by having joined their Armies at Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia, within this State. . . . We the Supreme Ex- ecotive Council . . . do hereby strictly charge and require the said George Davis &c. to render themselves respectively to some or one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, or of the Justices of the Peace . . . OD or before the third day of Angust next ensuing & also abide their legal trial for such their Treasons on pain that every of them the said George Davis &c. not rendering himself ns aforesaid & abiding the trial afure- said, shall, from and after the said first day of August, stand & he at- tainted of High Treason, to all intents & purposes & shall suffer such paius and penalties & undergo all such forfeitnres as persone attaioted of High Treason ought to do. And all the faithful subjects of thie State are to take uotice of this Proclamation & govern themselves uccord- ingly."1

Gen. Benedict Arnold, after the British army had evacuated Philadelphia, June 18, 1778, was placed in command of that city. While there, as is well known, he used his official position to further his own personal ends, and one of his speculations finally re-

1 Colonial Records, vol. xi. pp. 513-18. Goveroor Guerard, of South Caro- lina, having applied for the name of all the persons who has been pro- claimed as traitors in Pennsylvania, on Nov. 28, 1783, John Morris pre- pared a certified list from which aretaken the following unmes of persons from the present county of Delaware, and those who were then recorded as from Chester, without desiguating the townships where they resided : Aaron Ashbridge, Chester, discharged ; William Andrews, fuller, Darby ; William Anderson, laborer, Ridley ; Isaac Bullock, Inborer, Concord ; Isaac Buck, laborer, Providence ; Thomas Burns, laborer, Providence; William Bell, laborer, Newtown; James Brown, wheelwright, Haver- ford ; William Caldwell, husbandman, Darby ; William Clark, laborer, Providence ; Michael Crickley, laborer, Haverford; George Davis, hus- bandman, Springfield ; Willtam Duun, laborer, Providence; George Duno, discharged ; Malio Duon, tailor, Providence ; George Dunn, tailor, Providence ; Henry Effinger, Jr., discharged ; Abraham Falkens- tun, lahorer, Providence ; Samuel Fairlamb, yeoman, Chester ; George Good, Isborer, Providence; Joseph Gill, maltster, Chester ; William Heury, tailor, Providence ; Benjamin James, cooper, Concord; William Kennedy, laborer, Springfield; John Moulder, waterman, Chichester; JuhD (William) Millson, tailor, Coucord; William Maddock, tavern- keeper, Providence; John Musgrove, trader, Darhy ; David Maris, tailor, Newtown; Hogh O'Kain, laborer, Springfield ; Darby O'Kain, laborer, Springfield ; Joshua Proctor, Isborer, Newtown ; John Taylor, tavern- keeper, Chichester ; John Talbot, wheelwright, Chichester; John Tay- ler, grazier, Ridley ; Nathaniel Vernoo, Ists sheriff; Nathaniel Veroou, Jr., laborer, Gideon Veruon, husbandman, Providence; Christopher Wilson, husbandmau, Ridley, tried and convicted; Isaiah Worral, mil- Jer, Springfield. Of Chester County-Thomas Bulla, husbandman ; Tim- othy Hurst, gentleman ; Henry Skyles, husbandman ; John Swanwick, late of Custom-house ; Richard Swanwick, late of Custom-house; Joseph Thomas, late sub-sheriff. A John Taylor, of Chester County, was par- doned May 30, 1783, on taking outh of allegiance and giving bonds for good behavior during the war. By the time this list was made out it became a question which of the John Taylors herein mentioned had received the Executive clemeocy, and the master of the rolls himself sckuowledgea iu a quere that he could not determine the controversy. Penna. Archives, lat series, vol. x. pp. 250-60. On Juus 3, 1783, John Briggs, who had been convicted of barboring Gideon Vernon, " un at- tainted traytor," was sentenced to a fine of fifty pounds and imprison- ment to the 14th of October following, appealed to Council, who miti- guted his punishment by remitting the imprisonment, on his entering security for payment of the fine, fees, and costs, and to be of good be- havior for three years. On Sept. 13, 1783, President John Dickinson is- sued a proclamation offering a reward for the noted Dvan brothers, and charging many others with being implicated in their crimes, among the number Gideon Veruon. The proclamation stated that any one who should kill quy of these persona fleeing from arrest, "he or they so kill- ing shall be and hereby are justified, and in case of any prosecution shall be commenced ogaiust any person or persons for the same, he or they may thereto plead the general issue and give this act In evidence." Moreover, any person who should kill any of the persons unmed In the proclamation, on proof of that fact produced to the president of the State should receive a reward of three hundred pounds in good money. Colo- ujal Records, vol. xiii. pp. 687-90.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

sulted in casting on his reputation and character, which seemed to have had only remarkable physical bravery as a redeeming trait, the suspicion that mur- der, as well as treason, was among the crimes of which he had been guilty. The circumstances are briefly these: Jesse Jordan, a deputy wagon-master of Chester County, on Sept. 27, 1778, with a brigade of twelve wagons in his care, was ordered by Col. Andrew Boyd, the wagon-master of the county, to Philadelphia, there to load with provisions, and thence to New Windsor. Jordan was absent much longer than was expected. On his return Col. Boyd demanded the reason, and was told that when he reached Philadelphia, Deputy Quartermaster-General John Mitchell had ordered him, with his train of empty wagons, to Egg Harbor, N. J., then a harbor for American privateers, where he was instructed to load with merchandise belonging to private persons. This he did, and when he returned to the city the goods were delivered to stores kept by private indi- viduals. Col. Boyd immediately laid the matter be- fore Council, and on Jan. 18, 1779, that body de- manded an explanation of this transaction from Gen. Mitchell. On the 23d the latter replied that he had sent the wagons to New Jersey by order of Gen. Ar- nold, whereupon Council requested the general to in- form them whether the goods transported were public or private; if the latter, to whom they belong; also desiring Arnold to refer them to the authority by which "public wagons of Pennsylvania were sent into another State to do business merely of a private nature." On January 30th, Jesse Jordan was fully examined respecting the circumstances of this trip. While the matter was pending Arnold left the city, and Jordan and his teamsters being then " in great ne- cessity," the Council considered that "the board ou't to relieve them, so far as to advance £450 until they can procure further redress." On the 25th of Febru- ary, Deputy Quartermaster-General Mitchell ap- peared before Council, acknowledged that the blot in his memorandum book under date of Oct. 30, 1778, was done by his orders to conceal an entry of his clerk " of the return of Mr. Jordan's Brigade of wag- gons from Egg Harbor, & that the obliteration was made after the charge against Gen. Arnold for having used the public waggons for his private business had

quently, on March 1, 1779, in a lengthy letter to Pres- ident Reed, gave a circumstantial account of the matter, and on March 27th, Timothy Matlack, the secretary of Council, wrote to Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant, stating that Council had advanced Jordan four hundred and fifty pounds, to be repaid when he should recover compensation for the use of the wagons from Gen. Arnold, and the body was anxious to learn whether legal proceedings had been instituted. There appears no reference to the subject until October 10th, when Mr. Sergeant informed Council that he had instituted suit for Jesse Jordan against Gen. Arnold,

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 19

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