History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 15

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 15

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HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

severity upon the Pennsylvania settlers, and they continued to be driven in until Shippensbung, in Cumberland County, became the extreme outpost of civilization. The savages stole unawares upon the laborers in the fields, or came stealthily in at the midnight hour and spared neither trembling age nor helpless infancy, firing houses, barns, crops and everything combustible. The suffering of the frontiersmen in this fatal year can scarcely be conceived.

Col. Armstrong with a hastily collected force advanced upon their towns and forts at Muncy and Great Island, which he destroyed; but the Indians escaped and withdrew before him. He sent a detachment under Col. Bouquet to the relief of Fort Pitt, which still held out, though closely invested by the dusky warriors. At Fort Ligonier, Bouquet halted and sent forward thirty men, who etealthily pushed past the Indians under cover of night, and reached the fort, carrying intelligence that succor was at hand. Discovering that a force was advancing upon them, the Indians turned upon the troops of Bou- quet, and before he was aware that an enemy was near, he found himself sur- rounded and all means of escape apparently cut off. By a skillfully laid ambuscade, Bouquet, sending a small detachment to steal away as if in retreat, induced the Indians to follow, and when stretched out in pursuit, the main body in concealment fell upon the unsuspecting savages, and routed them with immense slaughter, when he advanced to the relief of the fort unchecked.

As we have already seen, the boundary line between Maryland and Penn- sylvania had long been in dispute, and had occasioned serious dieturbances among the settlers in the lifetime of Penn, and repeatedly since. It was not definitely settled till 1760, when a beginning was made of a final adjustment, though so intricate were the conditions that the work was prosecuted for seven years by a large force of surveyors, axmen and pioneers. The charter of Lord Baltimore made the northern boundary of Maryland the 40th degree of lati- tude; but whether the beginning or end of the 40th was not specified. The charter of Penn, which was subsequent, made his southern boundary the beginning of the 40th parallel. If, as Lord Baltimore claimed, his northern boundary was the end of the 40th, then the city of Philadelphia and all the settled parts of Pennsylvania would have been included in Maryland. If, as Pena claimed by express terms of his charter, his southern line was the begin- ning of the 40th, then the city of Baltimore, and even a part of the District of Columbia, including nearly the whole of Maryland would have been swal- lowed up by Pennsylvania. It was evident to the royal Council that neither claim could be rightfully allowed, and nence resort was had to compromise. Penn insisted npon retaining free communication with the open ocean by the Delaware Bay. Accordingly, it was decided that beginning at Cape Henlopen, which by mistake in marking the maps was fifteen miles below the present location, opposite Cape May, a line should be run due west to a point half way between this cape and the shore of Chesapeake Bay; from this point "a line was to be run northerly in such direction that it should be tangent on the west side to a circle with a radius of twelve miles, whose center was the center of the court house at New Castle. From the exact tangent point, a line was to be run due north until it should reach a point fifteen miles south ou the parallel of latitude of the most southern point in the boundary of the city of Phila- delphia, and this point when accurately found by horizontal measurement, was to be the corner bound between Maryland and Pennsylvania, and subsequently, when Delaware was set off from Pennsylvania, was the boundary of the three States. From this bound a line was to be run due west five degrees of longi- tude from the Delaware, which was to be the western limit of Pennsylvania, and the line thus ascertained was to mark the division between Maryland and

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Pennsylvania, and forever settle the vexed question. If the due north line should cut any part of the circle about New Castle, the slice so cut should be- long to New Castle. Such a segment was cut. This plan of settlement was entered into on the 10th of May, 1732, between Thomas and Richard, sons of William Penn, on the one part, and Charles, Lord Baltimore, great grandson of the patentee. But the actual marking of the boundaries was still deferred, and as the settlers were taking out patents for their lands, it was necessary that it should be definitely known in which State the lands lay. Accordingly, in 1739, in obedience to a decree in Council, a temporary line was run upon a new basis, which now often appears in litigations to plague the brain of the attorney.

Commissioners were again appointed in 1751, who made a few of the measurements, but owing to objections raised on the part of Maryland, the work was abandoned. Finally, the proprietors, Thomas and Richard Penn, and Frederic, Lord Baltimore, entered into an agreement for the executing of the survey, and John Lukens and Archibald McLean on the part of the Penns, and Thomas Garnett and Jonathan Hall on the part of Lord Baltimore, were appointed with a suitable corps of assistants to lay off the lines. After these surveyors had been three years at work, the proprietors in England, thinking that there was not enough energy and practical and scientific knowledge mani- fested by these surveyors, appointed Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, two mathematicians and surveyors, to proceed to America and take charge of the work. They brought with them the most perfect and best constructed instru- ments known to science, arriving in Philadelphia on the 15th of November, 1763, and, assisted by some of the old surveyors, entered upon their work. By the 4th of June, 1766, they had reached the summit of the Little Allegheny, when the Indians began to be troublesome. They looked with an evil eye on the mathematical and astronomical instruments, and felt a secret dread and fear of the consequences of the frequent and long-continued peering into the heavens. The Six Nations were understood to be inimical to the further prog- ress of the survey. But through the influence of Sir William Johnson a treaty was concluded, providing for the prosecution of the work unmolested, and a number of chieftains were sent to accompany the surveying party. Mason and Dixon now had with them thirty surveyors, fifteen axmen, and fif- teen Indians of consequence. Again the attitude of the Indians gave cause of fear, and on the 29th of September, twenty-six of the surveyors abandoned the expedition and returned to Philadelphia. Having reached a point 244 miles from the Delaware, and within thirty-six miles of the western limit of the State, in the bottom of a deep, dark valley, they came upon a well-worn Indian path, and here the Indians gave notice that it was the will of the Six Nations that this survey proceed no further. There was no questioning this authority, and no means at command for resisting, and accordingly the party broke up and returned to Philadelphia. And this was the end of the labors of Mason and Dixon upon this boundary. From the fact that this was subse- quently the mark of division between the Free and Slave States, Mason and Dixon's line became familiar in American politics. The line was marked by stones which were quarried and engraved in England, on one side having the arms of Penn, and on the opposite those of Lord Baltimore. These stones were firmly set every five miles. At the end of each intermediate mile a smaller stone was placed, having on one side engraved the letter P., and on the opposite side the letter M. The remainder of the line was finished and marked in 1782-84 by other surveyors. A vista was cut through the forest eight yarde in width the whole distance, which seemed in looking back through it to come to a

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

point at the distance of two miles. In 1849, the stone at the northeast corner of Maryland having been removed, a resurvey of the line was ordered, and suryeyors were appointed by the three States of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, who called to their aid Col. James D. Graham. Some few errors were discovered in the old survey, but in the main it was found to be accurate.

John Penn, grandson of the founder, and son of Richard, had come to the colony in 1753, and, having acted as President of the Council, was, in 1763, commissioned Governor in place of Hamilton. The conspiracy of Pontiac, though abortive in the results contemplated, left the minds of the Indians in a most dangerous state. The more resolute, who had entered heartily into the views of their leader, still felt that his purposes were patriotic, and hence sought, by every means possible, to ravage and destroy the English settlements. The Moravian Indians at Nain and Wichetunk, though regarded as friendly, were suspected of indirectly aiding in the savage warfare by trading firearms and ammunition. They were accordingly removed to Philadelphia that they might be out of the way of temptation. At the old Indian town of Conestoga there lived some score of natives. Many heartless murders had been com- mitted along the frontier, and the perpetrators had been traced to this Con- estoga town ; and while the Conestoga band were not known to be impli- cated in these outrages, their town was regarded as the lurking place of roving savages who were. For protection, the settlers in the neighboring districts of Paxton and Donegal, had organized a band known as the Paxton boys. Earnest requests were made by Rev. John Elder and John Harris to the Government to remove this band at Conestoga ; but as nothing was done, and fearful depredations and slaughter continued, a party of these Paxton rangers attacked the town and put the savages to the sword. Some few escaped, among them a known bloodthirsty savage, who were taken into the jail at Lancaster for pro- tection ; but the rangers, following them, overpowered the jailer, and breaking into the jail murdered the fugitives. Intense excitement was occasioned by this outbreak, and Gov. Penn issued his proclamation offering rewards for the apprehension of the perpetrators. Some few were taken ; but so excellent was their character and standing, and such were the provocations, that no convic- tions followed. Apprehensions for the safety of the Moravian Indians induced the Government to remove them to Province Island, and, feeling insecure there, they asked to be sent to England. For safety, they were sent to New York, but the Governor of that province refused them permission to land, as did also the Governor of New Jersey, and they were brought back to Philadel- phia and put in barracks under strong guard. The Paxton boys, in a consider- able body, were at that time at Germantown interceding for their brethren, who were then in durance and threatened with trial. Franklin was sent out to confer with them on the part of the Government. In defending their course, they said : "Whilst more than a thousand families, reduced to extreme dis- tress, during the last and present war, by the attacks of skulking parties of Indians upon the frontier, were destitute, and were suffered by the public to depend on private charity, a hundred and twenty of the perpetrators of the most horrid barbarities were supported by the province, and protected from the fury of the brave relatives of the murdered." Influenced by the persua- sions of Franklin, they consented to return to their homes, leaving only Matthew Smith and James Gibson to represent them before the courts.

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CHAPTER XI.

JOHN PENN, 1763-71-JAMES HAMILTON, 1771-RICHARD PENN, 1771-73-JOHN PENN, 1773-76.

A DIFFERENCE having arisen between the Governor and Assembly on the vexed question of levying money, the Assembly passed a series of reso- lutione advocating that the " powere of government ought to be separated from the power attending the immense proprietary property, and lodged in the hands of the King." After an interval of fifty days-that time for reflection and discussion might be given-the Assembly again convened, and adopted a petition praying the King to assume the direct government of the province, though this policy was strongly opposed by some of the ablest members, as Isaac Norris and John Dickinson. The Quaker element was generally in favor of the change.

Indian barbarities still continuing along the frontier, Gov. Penn declared war against the Shawanese and Delawares in July, 1765, and sent Col. Bouquet with a body of Pennsylvania troops against them. By the 3d of October, he had come up to the Muskingum, in the heart of the most thickly peopled Indian territory. So rapid had been the movement of Bouquet that the savages had no intelligence of his advance until he was upon them with no preparations for defense. They sued for peace, and a treaty was entered into by which the savages agreed to abstain from further hostilities until a general treaty could be concluded with Sir William Johnson, the general agent for Indian affairs for all the colonies, and to deliver up all English captives who had been carried away during the years of trouble. Two hundred and eight were quickly gathered up and brought in, and many others were to follow, who were now widely scattered. The relatives of many of these captives had proceeded with the train of Bouquet, intent on reclaiming those who had been dear to them. Some were joyfully received, while others who had been borne off in youth had become attached to their captors, and force was necessary to bring them away. "On the return of the army, some of the Indians obtained leave to accompany their former captives to Fort Pitt, and employed themselves in hunting and carrying provisions for them on the road."

The great struggle for the independence of the colonies of the British crown was now close at hand, and the first sounde of the controversy were be- ginning to be heard. Sir William Keith, that enterprising Governor whose head seemed to have been full of new projects, as early as 1739 had proposed to lay a uniform tax on stamped paper in all the colonies, to realize funds for the common defense. Acting upon this hint, Grenville, the British Minister, notified the colonists in 1763 of his purpose to impose such a tax. Against this they remonstrated. Instead of this, a tax on imports, to be paid in coin, was adopted. This was even more distasteful. The Assembly of Rhode Island, in October, 1765, submitted a paper to all the colonial assemblies, with a view to uniting in a common petition to the King against parliamentary taxation. This was favorably acted on by the Assembly.of Pennsylvania, and Franklin was appointed agent to represent their cause before the British Par- liament. The Stamp Act had been passed on the 22d of March, 1765. Its passage excited bitter opposition, and a resolution, asserting that the Colonial

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Assemblies had the exclusive right to levy taxes, was passed by the Virginia Assembly, and concurred in by all the others. The Massachusetts Assembly proposed a meeting of delegates in New York on the second Tuesday of October, 1765, to confer upon the subject. The Pennsylvania Assembly adopted the suggestion, and appointed Messrs. Fox, Morton, Bryan and Dickenson as dele- gates. This Congress met according to the call and adopted a respectful pe- tition to the King, and a memorial to Parliament, which were signed by all the members and forwarded for presentation by the Colonial Agents in En- gland. The Stamp Act was to go into effect on the 1st of November. On the last day of October, the newspapers were dressed in mourning, and suspended publication. The publishers agreed not to use the stamped paper. The people, as with one mind, determined to dress in homespun, resolved not to use imported goods, and, to stimulate the production of wool the colonists cov- enanted not to eat lamb for the space of one year. The result of this policy was soon felt by British manufacturers who became clamorous for repeal of the obnoxious measures, and it was accordingly repealed on the 18th of March, 1766.

Determined in some form to draw a revenue from the colonies, an act was passed in 1767, to lay a duty on tea, paper, printers' colors, and glass. The As- sembly of Pennsylvania passed a resolution on the 20th of February, 1768, instructing its agent in London to urge its repeal, and at the session in May received and entered upon its minutes a circular letter from the Massachusetts Assembly, setting forth the grounds on which objection to the act should be urged. This circular occasioned hostile feeling among the ministry, and the Secretary for foreign affairs wrote to Gov. Penn to urge the Assembly to take no notice of it; but if they approved its sentiments, to prorogue their sittings. This letter was transmitted to the Assembly, and soon after one from the Virginia Assembly was presented, urging union of all the colonies in opposing the several schemes of taxation. This recommendation was adopted, and committees appointed to draw a petition to the King and to each of the Houses of Parliament. To lead public sentiment, and have it well grounded in the arguments used against taxation, John Dickinson, one of the ablest of the Pennsylvania legislators at this time, published a number of articles purporting to come from a plain farmer, under the title of the Farmer's Letters, which became popular, the idea that they were the work of one in humble life, helping to swell the tide of popularity. They were republished in all the colonies, and exerted a commanding influence. Alarmed at the unanimity of feeling against the proposed schemes, and supposing that it was the amount of the tax that gave offense, Parliament reduced the rate in 1769 to one sixth of the original sum, and in 1770 abolished it altogether, except three pence a pound on tea But it was the principle, and not the amount that was objected to, and at the next session of the Assembly in Pennsylvania, their agent in London was directed to urge its repeal altogether.

It would seem incredible that the colony of Connecticut should lay claim to any part of the territory of Pennsylvania, but so it was. The New En- gland charters gave limitless extent westward even to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and south to the northern limits of the tract ceded to Lord Baltimore- the territory between the 40th and 46th degrees of north latitude, and from ocean to ocean. To encroach upon New York with its teaming popu- lation was not calculated to tempt the enterprise of the settler; but the rich virgin soil, and agreeable climate of the wide Wyoming Val- ley, as yet unappropriated, was likely to attract the eye of the exploren Accordingly, at the general conference with the Indians held at Albany

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in 1754, the Connecticut delegates made a purchase of a large tract in this valley; a company, known as the Susquehanna Company, was formed in Connecticut to promote the settlement of these lands, and a considerable im- migration commenced. The proprietors of Pennsylvania had also made pur- chase of the Indians of these identical lands, and the royal charters of Charles and James covered this ground. But the Plymouth Charter antedated Penn's. Remonstrances were made to the Governor of Connecticut against encroach- ments upon the territory of Pennsylvania. The answer returned was under- stood to disclaim any control over the company by the Connecticut authorities; but it subsequently appeared that the Government was determined to defend the settlers in the possession of their lands. In 1768, the proprietors of Penn- sylvania entered into treaty stipulations with the Indians for all this tract cov- ered by the claim of the Susquehanna Company. Pennsylvania settlers, attracted by the beauty of the place, gradually acquired lands under Penn- sylvania patents, and the two parties began to infringe on each other's claims. Forts and block-houses were erected for the protection of either party, and a petty warfare was kept up, which resulted in some loss of life. Butler, the leader of the Connecticut party, proposed to settle their differences by per- sonal combat of thirty picked men on each side. In order to assert more direct legal control over the settlers, a new county was formed which was called Northumberland, that embraced all the disputed lands. But the Sheriff, even with the aid of the militia, which he called to his assistance, was unable to execute his processes, and exercise legal control, the New Englanders, proving a resolute set, determined to hold the splendid farms which they had marked out for themselves, and were bringing rapidly under cultivation. To the re- monstrances of Gov. Penn, Gov. Trumbull responded that the Susquehanna Com- pany was proceeding in good faith under provisions secured by the charter of the Plymouth Colony, and proposed that the question be submitted to a com- petent tribunal for arbitrament. An ex parte statement was submitted to Council in London by the Connecticut party, and an opinion was rendered favorable to its claims. In September, 1775, the matter was submitted to the Continental Congress, and a committee of that body, to whom it was referred, reported in favor of the Connecticut claim, apportioning a tract out of the very bowels of Pennsylvania nearly as large as the whole State of Connecticut. This action was promptly rejected by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, and a final decision was not reached until 1802, when Congress decided in favor of the integrity of the chartered rights of Penn.

Richard Penn, son of the founder, died in 1771, whereupon Gov. John Penn returned to England, leaving the President of the Council, James Ham- ilton, at the head of the Government. John Penn, eldest son of Richard, suc- ceeded to the proprietary interests of his father, which he held in conjunction with his uncle, Thomas, and in October of the same year, Richard, the second son, was commissioned Governor. He held the office but about two years, and in that time won the confidence and esteem of the people, and so much attached was he to the popular cause, that upon his return to England, in 1775, he was intrusted by Congress with the last petition of the colonies ever presented to the King. In August, 1773, John Penn returned with the commission of Governor, superseding his brother Richard. Soon after his arrival, the Gov- ernor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, issued his proclamation, laying claim to a vast territory in the Monongalia Valley, including the site of the present city of Pittsburgh, and upon the withdrawal- of the British garrison, one Con- nolly had taken possession of it in the name of Virginia. Gov. Penn issued a counter-proclamation, calling on all good citizens within the borders of Penn.

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sylvania, to preserve their allegiance to his Government, seized and imprisoned Connolly, and sent Commissioners to Virginia to effect an amicable settlement. These, Dunmore refused to hear, and was preparing to assert his authority by force; but his Council refused to vote him money for this purpose.

To encourage the sale of tea in the colonies, and establish the principle of taxation, the export duty was removed. The colonies took the alarm. At a public meeting called in Philadelphia to consider the subject, on the 18th of October, 1773, resolutions were adopted in which it was declared : "That the disposal of their own property is the inherent right of freemen; that there can be no property in that which another can, of right, take from us without our consent; that the claim of Parliament to tax America, is, in other words, a claim of right to levy contributions on us at pleasure." The East India Company now made preparations for sending large importations of tea into the colonies. The ships destined for Philadelphia and New York, on approaching port, and being advised of the exasperated state of public feeling, returned to England with their cargoes. Those sent to Boston came into the harbor; but at night a party disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the vessels, and breaking open the packages, emptied 300 chests into the sea. The ministry, on being apprised of this act, closed the port of Boston, and subverted the colonial charter. Early in the year, committees of correspondence had been established in all the colonies, by means of which the temper and feeling in each was well nin- derstood by the others, and concert of action was secured. The hard condi- tions imposed on the town of Boston and the colony of Massachusetts Bay, aroused the sympathy of all; for, they argued, we know not how soon the heavy hand of oppression may be felt by any of us. Philadelphia declared at a pub- lic meeting that the people of Pennsylvania would continue firmly to adhere to the cause of American liberty, and urged the calling of a Congress of dele- gates to consider the general interests.

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History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 15

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280