USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County : to which is prefixed a brief sketch of the early history of Pennsylvania > Part 27
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disapproved the perfidy of their tribe, and been willing to cultivate and preserve friendship with us, why did they not give notice of the war before it happened, as it is known to be the result of long deliberation and precon- certed combination ? Why did they not leave their tribe immediately, and come amongst us, before there was cause to suspect them, or war was actually waged ?- No, they staid amongst them, were privy to their murders and ravages, until we had destroyed their provisions, and when they could no longer subsist at home, they came- not as deserters, but-as friends, to be maintained through the winter, that they might scalp and butcher us in the spring."*
" The memorialists further remonstrated against the policy of suffering any Indians whatever, to live within the inhabited parts of the province, whilst it was engaged in an Indian war; experience having taught that they were all perfidious, and that their claim to freedom and independence enabled them to act as spies, to entertain and give intelligence to our enemies, and to furnish them with provisions and warlike stores. To this fatal inter- course, between pretended friends and open enemies, they ascribed the greater part of the ravages and murders that had been committed during the last and present wars .- This grievance they prayed might be considered and re- medied. They remonstrated against the neglect, by the province, of the frontier inhabitants, who had been wounded in its defence, and required that they should be relieved at the public cost. They expostulated against the policy of the government, in refraining to grant rewards for Indian scalps, " which damped the spirits of brave men, who were willing to venture their lives against the enemy ;" and they proposed that public *Votes of Assembly, and Gordon's Pa.
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rewards might be granted for their trophies, adequate to the danger of procuring them. They lamented that numbers of their nearest and dearest relatives were retained in captivity among the savage heathen, to be trained up in ignorance and barbarity, or be cruelly tor- mented to death for attempting their escape : and they prayed that no trade might be permitted with the Indians until their prisoners were returned."
The year 1765 is remarkable for the birth of ROBERT FULTON, who was born in Little Britain. He early showed peculiar talents, and cultivated them abroad, as well as in his own country. He is distinguished as an inventor of steamboats. In 1803, at the joint expense of himself and Robert R. Livingston, chancellor of New York, and minister of the United States to the French court, he con- structed a boat on the River Seine, by which he fully evinced the practicability of propelling boats by steam .- On returning to America in 1806, he commenced, in con- junction with Mr. Livingston, the construction of the first Fulton boat, which was launched in the spring of 1807 from a ship yard at New York. There was great incredulity among the people on the subject; but this boat demonstrated, on the first experiment, to a numerous assemblage of astonished spectators, the correctness of his expectations, and the value of his invention. The same year, he suggested the first idea of joining the western lakes and the Atlantic ocean by canal.
In 1810, the legislature of New York appointed com- missioners, with whom Mr. Fulton was joined the next session, to explore the route of inland navigation from the Hudson river to the lake Ontario and Erie. The commissioners reported in 1811, 12, 14. Mr. Fulton was very estimable in his domestie and social relations ; "but what was most conspicuous in his character, was his calm
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constancy, his industry, and that indefatigable patience and perseverance, which always enabled him to over- come difficulties." A distinguished foreigner, the chevalier de Gessicourt observes, " Steamboats offer such advan- tages to commerce, that England, France and America, with one accord, proclaim the glory of Fulton."-De- laplaine's Repository, I. p, 201, 223.
In 1766, BENJAMIN S. BARTON, professor in the University of Pennsylvania, was born at Lancaster, Pa. His mother was the sister of the celebrated David Ritten- house. In 1786, he went to Great Britain and pursued his medical studies at Edinburg and London. He after- wards visited Gottingen, and there obtained the degree of Doctor in Medicine. On his return from Europe in 1789, he established himself as a physician in Philadelphia, and soon obtained an extensive practice. In the same year he was appointed professor of natural history and botany in the college of Philadelphia.
On the resignation of Doctor Griffiths, he was appoint- ed professor of Materia Medica ; and succeeded Doctor Rush in the department of the theory and practice of medicine. He died in 1815. His chief publication is " Elements of Zoology and Botany."
1769. This year the Rev. John Woodhull came to Lancaster Borough, as pastor of the Presbyterian church. He was their first pastor. They preached occasionally in the court house, before. Woodhull came. In 1770 or '71, a meeting house was finished. The leading men among the Presbyterians at that time were E. Shippen, Esq., Dr. R. Boyd, W. White, H. Halen, C. Hall, S. Boyd, W. Montgomery, W. Ross, Judge Yeates, M. San- derson, in the town; W. Davis, T. Davis and John Jacks, in the country.
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From 1769 to 1775, a score and two of lawyers were admitted at the Lancaster Bar.
In 1769 Thomas Hood, Jacob Moore, Casper Weitzel, Jacob Rush, Christian Hook and Thomas Hartly. 1770, John Hubley, Abel Evans and Andrew Ross. 1.771, James Lukens, David Grear, Ashton Humphries, George Noarth and Nathaniel Ramsey. 1772, Edward Burd, Francis Johnson, Peter Zachary Lloyd, Charles Stedman and Mr. Collinson. 1773, John Stedman and George Ross, Jr. 1775, William Barton.
Members of Assembly from Lancaster county for 1765, Emanuel Carpenter, James Wright, James Webb, Jacob Carpenter ; those of 1765 were re-elected for 1766 and 1767. 1768, Emanuel Carpenter, James Wright, James Webb, George Ross. 1769, Emanuel Carpenter, Jacob Carpenter, James Webb, George Ross. 1770, Emanuel Carpenter, James Wright, Joseph Ferree, George Ross. 1771, Emanuel Carpenter, George Ross, Joseph Ferree, William Downing. 1772, Joseph Ferree, Jacob Carpen- ter, Isaac Whitelock, James Webb. 1773 and 1774, Jo- seph Ferree, James Webb, George Ross, Matthias Slough.
NOTES .- In the year 1765, the following named gentlemen were admitted, at Lancaster, to practice law : Alexander Wil- cocks, Jasper Yeates, Richard Peters, Jr., Andrew Allen, James Allen, James Sayre and Henry Ewes. In 1766, Elisha Price, George Campbell, practising attorneys from Ireland, and William Swainey.
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CHAPTER VIII.
Hail storm-Proceedings, &c. by the citizens of Lancaster county touching", the usurpation of Parliament, in Great Britain-Letter from the commit -. tee of correspondence at Philadelphia-Meeting at the court house in Lancaster-Copy of a circular letter from Philadelphia-Meeting called at Lancaster-Subscriptions opened for the relief of the suffering Bosto- nians-Letters from Philadelphia-Meeting called to be held at Lancas- ter-Committees appointed-Meeting held-Letter from Reading- Meeting of the committee of inspection, &c .- Committee men from differ- ent townships meet at Lancaster-Their proceedings, &c. &c.
NOTHING of thrilling interest appears in the annals of this county from the close of Indian incursions, to the time when the indignation of the colonists was generally excited by the attempted oppressions on the part of the mother country. There are, nevertheless, a few things we deem worthy of notice.
In 1768, in the month of June, Lancaster county was visited by a dreadful hail-storm. A writer in the Penn- sylvania Chronicle, of June, 1768, says, "I now sit down," in writing to the Editor, "under the shade of a friendly oak in the country, in order to give you some account of the late dreadful storm here, the effects of which, I have taken pains to examine, having rid several miles for that purpose.
" On Friday, the 17th inst. about 2 o'clock P. M. the sky was overspread with flying clouds, apparently charged with heavy rain. The wind blew pretty fresh from the south-east, and thickened the clouds in the op- posite quarter ; so that about 4 o'clock there was dark- ness visible in the north-west attended with distant rum- bling thunder, and now and then with a small gleam of lightning, without any explosions, The clouds deepened
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more and more in the north-west, and thus seemed to make a stand, being opposed by the wind from the opposite points. At half-after four, they assumed a frightful appearance, and at last a large crescent, with its concave sides to the wind, and its inner edges tinged with a dusky violet color. About five the wind veered about to the north-west, which immediately gave motion to the clouds, and discharged a most dreadful and destruc- tive volley of hail. The storm then proceeded in a south- east direction, at the rate of twelve miles an hour, attended with a most dreadful noise, something like the sounds of cannon, drums and bells mingled together .- The hail stones were of various dimensions, shapes and forms. Some measured nine inches in circumfer- ence, some seven, whilst others were not larger than peas. As to their forms, some were of globular, some spheroidical, surrounded with small excresences or knobs, some eliptical, and some irregular and smooth, like pieces of ice. Such as were globular, were endued with so much elasticity, that they rebounded from the ground like a tennis ball. This storm divided into several branches, or veins, if I may use such terms, all which kept the same course, but bent their fury mostly towards the mountains hills and highlands.
" At Susquehannah the hail was as large as pigeon's eggs ; at Lancaster about the size of peas; at Dunker- town, and in the valley, between the Welsh and Reading hills, they were as large as turkey's eggs ; in some other places, still larger ; and at Reading no hail appeared .- The damage done by this storm is very great; the county of Lancaster alone, it is thought, has suffered several thousand pounds. In many places there is not a single ear of wheat, rye, barley, &c. but what is cut off; and nothing left but the green straw, bruised and beat to
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pieces, It is melancholy to see fine plantations, and extensive fields, which a few days ago waved with luxu- riant crops, now lying waste. Many able farmers who expected to carry several hundred bushels of grain to market, will be obliged to buy bread for their families ; and many of the poorer kind will be ruined, and reduced to beggary. All these people are mowing their late promising and rich crops, as fodder for their cattle .- Their distress is moving and alarming. At Dunkertown it is said, with what truth I cannot say, that cattle were , killed by the hail; but certain it is, that about Muddy creek, in this county, calves, pigs, fowls, &c. were killed in that settlement ; the ground in the woods is as thick covered with green foliage, beaten from the trees, as it is with the fallen leaves in the month of October; and in many places the birds are found dead in woods and orchards. The north-west side of the fruit trees are barked, and all the glass windows on that side, that were not secured by shutters, are demolished ; and even the rails of the fences, visibly show the impression of hail upon them. In short, this storm threw every person who saw it, into the most dreadful consternation; for the oldest man here never saw or heard any thing like it."
As early as 1765, the British Parliament passed an act that all instruments of writing, such as promissory notes, bonds, indentures, &c. were to be null and void, unless written on paper or parchment stamped with specific duty. This measure was opposed in England and in this country ; and being found unpopular, the act was repeal- ed in 1766 ; but another act was passed by Parliament, declaring that the British Parliament had a right to make laws binding the colonies in all cases whatever ; this act was soon followed by another, imposing, in the colonies, duties on glass, paper, painters colors, and tea. These
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several acts kindled in every patriotic bosom, a strong opposition to the measures of the mother country, and one circumstance after another led to an open rupture between the colonies and the parent country, which hap- pened about the year 1773, when the Bostonians threw the tea overboard. From that time on, a flame was kindled in every breast. Gen. Gage, from Britain, arrived at Boston in 1774, with more troops, some having arrived before, " to dragoon the Bostonians into compliance."- The Bostonians had to suffer much; but their sufferings excited the sympathy of others. Associations for their relief were formed in nearly all the colonies; even this county was not the last nor least to aid in relieving their suffering brethren, as will fully appear from the following precious relic, which is deposited in the Prothonotary's office of Lancaster county :*
Copy of a letter from the committee of correspondence for the city of Philadelphia, directed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of this place, dated about the 12th of June, 1774. Runs in the words following to wit:
Philadelphia.
Gentlemen :- We beg leave to refer you to the enclosed paper for the steps we have taken on the present alarm- ing occasion. The Governor declining to call the As- sembly, renders it necessary to take the sentiments of the Inhabitants; and for that purpose it is agreed to call a Meeting of the Inhabitants of this city and the county at the State House, on Wednesday, the 15th instant .- And as we would wish to have the sentiments and con- currence of our brethren in the several counties, who are equally interested with us in the General Cause, we earnestly desire you to call together the principal Inhab-
* An abridgement of this relic would have destroyed the in- terest of the whole.
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itants of your county and take their sentiments. We shall forward to you by every occasion, any matters of consequence that come to our knowledge, and we should be glad you would choose and appoint a Committee to Correspond with us.
Signed by order of the committee of Corres- pondence,for the city of Philadelphia. CHARLES THOMPSON, Clerk.
In pursuance of which, and also of another large letter wrote by Mr. Charles Thompson, and sent to the inhabi- tants of this borough, directed to the care of Mr. Wil- liam Atlee, a meeting was held on the 15th day of June, 1774. And the following Resolves were agreed on, viz: At a meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Lan- caster, at the court house in the said borough, on Wednes- day, the 15th day of June, 1774: Agreed-that to pre- serve the Constitutional rights of the inhabitants of America, it is incumbent on every colony, to unite and use the most effectual means to procure a repeal of the late act of Parliament against the town of Boston.
That the act of Parliament for blocking up the port and harbor of Boston, is an invasion of the rights of the inhabitants of the said town, as subjects of the crown of Great Britain. That it is the opinion of the inhabitants at this meeting that the proper and effectual means to be used to obtain a repeal of the said act, will be to put an immediate stop to all imports, and exports, to and from Great Britain, until the same act be repealed.
That the traders and inhabitants of this town will join and concur with the patriotic merchants, manufacturers, tradesmen, and freeholders, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and other parts of this province, in an association or solemn agreement to this purpose, if the same shall be by them thought necessary.
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That Edward Shippen, Esq., George Ross, Esq., Jasper Yeates, Esq., Mathias Slough, Esq., James Webb, Esq., William Atlee, Esq., William Henry, Esq., Mr. Ludwig Lauman, Mr. William Bausman and Mr. Charles Hall, be a committee to correspond with the general committee of Philadelphia ; that these sentiments be immediately forwarded to the committee of correspondence at Philadelphia.
The gentlemen above named, after being chosen and appointed a committee of correspondence, resolved upon the following letter to be transmitted to the committee of Philadelphia, directed to Mr. Charles Thompson, and is as follows, viz :
Lancaster, the 15th June, 1774.
SIR :- Agreeable to the request of the Committee of Correspondence for the city of Philadelphia, signified to some of the Inhabitants here, by your letter. We have this evening had a Meeting of the Inhabitants of this Town, (at which a very great number attended) at the Court House, and unanimously gave their assent to the Resolves or Agreement inclosed. As taking the senti- ments of the county could not be so expeditiously done by having a general Meeting of the Inhabitants, we thought best to give you those of the Town, and have the pleasure now to assure you that the Inhabitants of the county in general begin to entertain similar opinions within, as to this matter-and no doubt, heartily concur in them at a Meeting which we shall endeavor as soon as possible to have with them. We hope you will give us intelligence of any matters worthy of notice, and be assured we shall do everything in our power to promote the General Interest.
We are, &c. Signed by
Edward Shippen, James Webb, Matthias Slough,
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William Atlee, William Henry, Esqrs., Messrs. Ludwig Lauman, William Bausman, Charles Hall.
Ordered that Eberhart Michael the clerk of this com- mittee do forward a copy of this day's resolves to Mr. Charles Thompson, the clerk of the committee at Philadel- phia, with a copy of this letter, signed by him.
At a meeting of the committee of correspondence, ap- pointed for the borough of Lancaster, the 2d of July, 1774, Edward Shippen, Esq. being chosen chairman : The committee taking into consideration the resolves of the respectable inhabitants of the city and county of Phil- adelphia, on the 18th of June last; as also, the circular letters signed by the chairman of their said committee, the honorable Thomas Willig, Esq.
Resolved, That they do most heartily concur with their brethren of Philadelphia, in the mode proposed for taking the sentiments of the good people of this province, on the present alarming and critical situation of the American colonies, therefore,
Resolved, That notice be given to the freemen and inhabitants of this county with the utmost expedition, to choose a committee to join with the committees of the other counties of this province to meet at Philadelphia, for the very great and useful purposes mentioned in the said resolves and circular letters: and therefore,
Resolved, That the freemen and inhabitants of this county be requested to meet on Saturday, the ninth day of this instant, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, at the court house, in Lancaster, for the purpose aforesaid.
N. B. The said resolves of the committee at this meeting, being ordered to be printed, and the same after they were printed, signed by Edward Shippen, Esq., the chairman. Sent and put up at all public places in the county.
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Now following the copy of the circular letter mention- ed in the last foregoing resolves, and is from word to word, as followeth, to wit :
Philadelphia, June 28th, 1774.
Gentlemen :- The committee of correspondence for this city and county beg leave to enclose you printed copies of the resolves passed at a very large and respectable meeting of the freeholders and freemen, in the State House square, on Saturday, the 18th instant. By the 4th of those resolves, you will observe that it was left for the committee " To determine on the most proper mode of collecting the sense of this province in the present critical situation of our affairs, and appointing deputies to attend the proposed Congress. In pursuance of this trust, we have, upon the maturest deliberation, determined upon a mode contained in the two following propositions, which, we hope, may meet with the approbation and concur- rence of your respectable county, viz:
First : "That the Speaker of the honorable House of Representatives be desired to write to the several mem- bers of Assembly in this province, requesting them to meet in this city as soon as possible, but no later than the 1st of August next, to take into their consideration our very alarming situation.
Second : 'That letters be written to proper persons in each county, recommending it to them, to get committees appointed to their respective counties, aud that the said committees or such a number of them as may be thought proper, may meet at Philadelphia, at the time the repre- sentatives are convened, in order to consult and advise on the most expedient mode of appointing deputies for the general Congress, and to give their weight to such as may be appointed.'
The Speaker of the Assembly, in a very obliging and
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ready manner, had agreed to comply with the request in the former of those propositions ; but we are now inform- ed that, on account of the Indian disturbances, the Gov- ernor has found it necessary to call the Assembly to meet in their legislative capacity, on Monday, the 18th of July, being about the same time the Speaker would probably have invited them to ·a conference or convention in their private capacity.
What we have therefore to request is, that if you approve of the mode expressed in the second proposition, the whole or part of the committee appointed, or to be appointed for your county, will meet the committees from the other counties, at Philadelphia, on Friday the fifteenth of July, in order to assist in framing instructions, and preparing such matter as may be proper to recommend to our representatives, at their meeting the Monday following.
We trust, no apology is necessary for the trouble we propose giving your committee of attending at Philadel- phia, as we are persuaded you are fully convinced of the necessity of the closest Union among ourselves, both in sentiment and action ; nor can such union be obtained so well by any other method, as by a meeting of the county committees of each particular province in one place, preparatory to the general Congress.
We would not offer such an affront to the well known public spirit of Pennsylvania, as to question your zeal on the present occasion. Our very existence in the ranks of freemen, and the security of all that ought to be dear to us, evidently depend upon our conducting this great cause to its proper issue by firmness, wisdom and unanimity. We cannot therefore doubt your ready concurrence in every measure that may be conducive to the public good; and it is with pleasure we can assure you, that all the
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colonies, from South Carolina to New Hampshire, seem animated with one spirit in the common cause, and con- sider this as the proper crisis for having our differences with the mother country brought to some certain issue, and our liberty fixt upon a permanent foundation. This desirable end can only be accomplished by a free com- munion of sentiments, and a sincere fervent regard to the interests of our common country. We beg to be favored with an answer to this, and whether the committee for your county can attend at Philadelphia, at the time pro- posed. Signed by order of the committee.
THOMAS WILLIG, Chairman. To the committee for Lancaster county.
Pursuant to the publication of the resolves of the com- mittee before mentioned: A general meeting of the freemen and inhabitants of this county, (of Lancaster,) was held on Saturday, the 9th of July, 1774.
George Ross, Esq., being chosen chairman. This assembly taking into serious consideration the several late acts of the British Parliament, relative to America ; came unanimously to the following declarations and resolves, viz :
1. We do sincerely profess and declare, that his most gracious majesty King George the third, is our rightful and lawful sovereign; and that we will support and defend him to the utmost of our power with our lives and fortunes against his enemies.
2. We do further declare that no power is constitu- tionally lodged in the hands of any body of men, to give and grant our money, save only our representatives in Assembly, who have at all times cheerfully granted aid to his majesty whenever he has made requisition from them.
3. That the acts of the British Parliament for divest
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ing us of such right, and assuming such power them- selves, are unconstitutional, unjust and oppressive.
4. That it is an indispensible duty we owe to ourselves and posterity, to oppose with decency and firmness, every measure tending to deprive us of our just rights and privileges.
5. That a close union of the colonies, and their faith- fully adhering to such measures as a general Congress shall judge proper, are the most likely means to procure redress of American grievances, and settle the rights of the colonies on a permanent basis.
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