History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 27

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 27

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On July 20, 1778, Richard Peters, in the name of the War Office, informed the Vice President of Pennsylvania that "the condition of affairs on the borders was of the most alarming nature, but that the War Office had done everything in its power to serve out military stores." At that time the State had at least twelve thousand stands of arms at Allentown awaiting orders to be issued to the militia. This serves to show that Allentown was at this period extraordinarily ac- tive in the cause of liberty. Its people, and those of the surrounding country, were almost without exception, intensely patriotic.

In the year 1778, the headquarters for the Wagon Brigade was located on the south side of the Little Lehigh, not far from the building occupied by the armourers and gunsmiths. The following petition presented to the Northamp- ton county court in September, 1778, contains in- teresting information regarding this fact.

"To the Worshipful the Justices of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace in and

142

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

for the county of Northampton, September Term, 1778.

"The Petition of Andreas Reeb of Salisbury township, in the said county, Humbly Sheweth, That having lately petitioned the said worship- ful Court for a Recommendation to the Supreme Executive Council for this State for a license to keep a house of entertainment in said town- ship, your worships were pleased to disallow the same; But your Petitioner begs leave to repre- sent that by a dislocation of one of his shoulders some time past, he is thereby greatly enfeebled and rendered in some measure incapable of using those necessary exertions for the support of his family to which his inclinations and will prompts him; and moreover, being situated near the Little Lehigh and Col. Deshler's Mill, and where the Brigade of Wagons which pass continually through Northampton on Public Service do every day resort to and feed, he finds himself obliged to accommodate them with many little conven- iences, which are not contrary to law, and for which the Wagoners cannot allow him a com- pensation equal to his trouble unless he may be permitted to entertain them as a Public House keeper; Besides, your Petitioner, not doubting your Worships would indulge him with your Recommendation, in common with his Fellow Citizens, has put himself to a considerable ex- pense in erecting a Building for the Accommoda- tion of Travellers, your Petitioner therefore prays, as he is provided with every necessary for a Public house keeper, Your Worships will please to grant him a Recommendation and your Petitioner will ever Pray, etc.

"ANDREAS REEB."

"The Brigade of teams in the Service of the United States have a yard near the Petitioner's house and I think a publick House of Entertain- ment near the said yard is necessary.

"ROBERT L. HOOPER, JR., "Dept. Quar. Master Gen."

"We, the Subscribers, beg leave to recom- mend to the Worshipful Bench the Prayer of the Petitioner.

"David Deshler, George Good,

"Thos. M'Whorter, Peter Birkey."

(Endorsed) Petition. Andreas Reeb for Tavern License. Allowed.

This tavern stood along the road on the south side of the Little Lehigh, in South Allentown, now the Twelfth Ward.

The Moravians and Schwenkfelders presented petitions to the State Assembly in May, 1778, asking relief from the militia and test laws of the State. On the 20th of May, after con- siderable debate, the house resolved that Colonel

Lollar, of Philadelphia, Mr. Lauman and Col- onel Lowrey, of Lancaster, Mr. Peter Rhoads, of Allentown, and Colonel Dill, of York, be a - committee to draw up and assign the reasons which induced the house not to grant the prayers of the said petitions. The Journal of the As- sembly for May 25, 1878, contains the report of the committee, viz: "The committee appointed to set forth the reasons which induced the house not to grant the petitions of the Moravians and Schwenkfelders societies, so far as the said pe- titions relate to the dispensing with the abjura- tion of allegiance to the king of Great Britain, contained in the test of allegiance, required by law of the inhabitants of this state; beg leave to report, That the house appears to your commit- tee to be influenced by the following reasons:

"First. Because the honorable the continental congress, in their declaration of independence, have declared 'That these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, and that they are absolved from all al- legiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved.'

"Secondly. Because though the present glori- ous struggle for liberty and the natural rights of mankind against the tyrannical power of Great Britain is, at this time, well understood; yet many persons amongst us, preferring a slavish dependence on the British king, from prejudice, expectations from lucrative offices, or the most unworthy motives, and screening themselves from the notice of government, by a professed neutral- ity, have nevertheless, as soon as opportunity of- fered, declared themselves in favour of our ene- mies, and become active against the liberties of America ; it is therefore absolutely necessary, that whilst the good citizens of this state are freely exposing their lives and fortunes to protect what is still dearer to them than either of these, a proper discrimination be made, that may distin- guish our friends from our enemies.

"Thirdly. Because it cannot be conceived that any person can bear allegiance to the united states of America, and at the same time refuse to renounce his allegiance to that power who, without any just pretense, is now carrying on an offensive and cruel war against us, laying waste, burning, plundering and destroying our country by his fleets and armies, and commit- ting every outrage that refinement on savage bar- barity can invent.

"Fourthly. Because the petitions on this sub- ject make it evident that the people, on whose behalf they are presented, do consider a general test of allegiance to the state, to be, in some sort,

143

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

consistent with a reservation of allegiance to the king of Great Britain, and that an alteration in the test required by law, upon the present peti- tions, would be an acknowledgment, by this house, of the propriety and justice of such a con- struction of a general test.

"Fifthly. Because the Germans in particular, have the less reason to object to the oath of al- legiance as directed by law, as they have hereto- fore generally renounced allegiance to a royal family which had forfeited its pretensions to the British throne, by acts no less outrageous and insulting on the rights of the subject, than those which the present king has been guilty of to- wards the people of America.

"Sixthly. Because the house, in all their de- liberations and proceedings, have carefully avoid- ed giving offence to any religious society, by granting any indulgence or preference to another ; and as many of the good people of the Moravians, as of every other society, have freely and volun- tary taken and subscribed the oath or affirmation of allegiance and fidelity as directed by the laws of this state, this circumstance affords a just ground to infer, that the objections made are really the objections of individuals only; but were it otherwise, this house cannot grant relief to the petitioners, without just grounds of sus- picions and offence to those who have already taken the oath or affirmation as aforesaid.

"And thereupon it was Resolved, That this house do adopt the said report, and that the house is nevertheless ready and willing to grant to the petitioners every encouragement and pro- tection in their power, which may appear con- sistent with the duty they owe to their constitu- ents, and the welfare of the united states of America."

In the township of Upper Saucon, a num- ber of Mennonite families had settled and as their religious belief forbade their bearing arms, they were subject to much criticism and abuse at a time when every arm possible was needed for the defense of the country. A number of them drew up petitions and presented them to the several bodies of the state government, as follows :

To the Honorable the Supreme Executive Coun- cil of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania :

The Petition of George Bachman, Jacob Yeoder, Casper Yeoder, Abraham Yeoder, Henry Sell, Peter Sell, Philip Geisinger, Henry Geis- inger, John Geisinger, Abraham Geisinger, Christian Young and John Newcomer of Upper Saucon in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania,

Humbly Sheweth: That your Petitioners having received Sentence of Banishment at the last Court of Quarter Sessions held at Easton, for no other. cause but that we could not with freedom of conscience comply with the Law of this State imposing a Test on the Inhabitants, and being deeply afflicted with the complicated distresses, our unhappy Families are hereby in- volved in; beg leave, in all humility to lay be- fore you, our deplorable case, not destitute of some hope of obtaining your merciful interposi- tion, as we believe none can Justly charge any of us with having ever done any act, that can be construed inimical to the State or Government we live under, but have always been peaceable subjects, ready and willing to contribute our full proportion towards the support of it, ex- cept going into military service, it being con- trary to our religious principles to bear Arms in any case whatsoever, and if ever we are found guilty of anything contrary to these our peace- able Principles, may we suffer the severest Pen- alties; and your Petitioners believing the Su- preme Council to be invested with a dispensing Power to mitigate the severity of our sentence as we humbly conceive the process against us, has not been according to the Spirit of the Law, or the intention of the Legislature with regard to the peaceable Industrious part of the People, which Error is imputed to the Magistrate not dearly understanding the full meaning of the first and third clauses of the Act for the further se- curity of Government, passed the first of April last; and your Petitioners not being able yet to get over their religious scruple about taking the said Test, it appearing to us like joining our hands to military service, and being very desir- ous to continue to be, not only peaceable, but useful subjects to this State; do humbly request the Honorable Supreme Council to take our dis- tressed Case into Consideration, and grant such relief therein as to you in your wisdom shall seem meet.

And your Petitioners shall as in duty bound pray, &c., 4th July, 1778.

George Bachman, Henrich Geiszinger,

Jacob Joder,

Johanes Geiszinger,

Casper Joder,

Abraham Geiszinger,

Abraham Joder, Philip Geiszinger,

Henrich Sell, Christian Jung,

Peter Sell, Johannes Neukommer.

We, the Subscribers, Freemen of the County of Northampton, being duly qualified accord- ing to Law, beg leave to certifie the Honorable Supreme Council of this Commonwealth, that we are neighbors to, and well acquainted with the petitioners above named and have ever

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Known them to be men of unblemished reputa- tion for uprightness and integrity in their con- duct, conversation & dealings amongst men, and are convinced that their present blindness to their own Essential interests, proceeds from an unhappy bias in their Education, and not from any disaffection to the present Government.

Witness our hands the 5th July, 1778.

Felix Lynn Felix Rosenberger

Nicholas Kooken Michel Zigler

Johannes Lukenbach

Mattes Gangwer

Georg Rauschenberger Johannes Bär

Adam Lukenbach Peter Fuchs

Jorg Schäffer

Mattes Mueller.

To the Honorable the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Penn- sylvania in General Assembly met:

The Petition of Eve Yoder, wife of Jacob Yoder, of Upper Saucon township in the coun- ty of Northampton in this State, yoeman, and Ester Bachman, wife of George Bachman, of Upper Saucon Township, aforesaid, yoeman, as well on Behalf of themselves and their said Hus- bands as also on Behalf of John Keissinger, Ab- raham Keissinger, Henry Sell, Jasper Yoder, Abraham Yoder, Jacob Yoder, Henry Keiss- inger, Christian Young, John Newcomer and George Bachman, all of them Freeholders and Men of Reputation of the said county who have always behaved peaceably and quietly and never intermeddled in State affairs But paid their Taxes and Fines, furnished horses and teams for the continental service whenever demanded, and some of them have gone with their Teams as Drivers to carry Provisions to the army of the United States for which service they have hither- to received no pay; That the said Freeholders were summoned to appear at the Court of Quar- ter Sessions held at Easton in June last past, when they appeared accordingly and the Test being tendered to them, by the said court, which said they conscientiously scrupled to take (being of the Religious Society called Menon- ists) Whereupon the said Court sentenced them to be banished out of this state within thirty days after the said court and that all their per- sonal Estate be confiscated to the State; That afterwards all their said personal Estate even their Beds, Bedings, Linen, Bibles and Books were taken from them and sold by the Sheriff to the amount of about Forty Thousand Pounds.

That from some of them all their Provisions were taken and even not a Morsel of Bread left them for their Children; That as all their Iron Stoves were taken from them out of their Houses tho fastened to the Freehold, they are deprived of every Means of Keeping their Children

Warm in the approaching Winter especially at Nights being obliged to lye on the Floor without any Beds; That some of the said Men's wives are pregnant and near their time of De- liverance which makes their case more distress- ing and that by reason of the said Proceedings ten of the most respectful and considerable Fam- ilys in the said county of Northampton are be- come destitute and very much reduced; May it therefore please this Honorable House to take the Premises into Consideration and to mitigate the Security of the Sentence of the said Court, and that Some Regard be had to the Command of God laid down in the Scripture of Truth, to wit: "What God hath joyned together let not men put asunder" and that our Husbands may be permitted to continue to dwell with us, and that our children may not be taken from us, and your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. September the 9th, 1778.

her Eve E Yoder

mark

her

Esther E Bachman.

mark

September 10th, 1778.

Read and ordered to be recommended to the Council.

Petition of Eve Yoder and Esther Bachman to the Honorable Assembly.

The petition of Eve Joeder and Esther Bach- man, in behalf of themselves, their husbands, and other inhabitants of Northampton county, was presented to the Assembly on September Ioth and referred to the Executive Council, with the recommendation to them to inquire into the facts set forth in the petition, and if the same is found to be true, to grant such relief to their present distresses, as they may think proper by a draft on the State Treasurer.

The minutes of the Executive Council show that they received this petition on September 17th and ordered that John Ralston, Peter Rhoads, Esquires, and Doctor Linn, of North- ampton county, be directed to make inquiry into the circumstances and report to the Council. No further mention of the matter appears in the Executive Council minutes.

The goods of George Bachman were sold by the Sheriff on August 24, 1778, and £445 16 3 in continental money was realized. On the same day £869 9 10 was realized from the sale of Caspar Yoder's personal property, and £408 17 I from the sale of Abraham Geisinger's goods. Among the effects of the latter, a clock was sold for £49, a German stove for £3 12 0, and a

I45

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

book for 17 shillings. On August 29, 1778, Henry and Peter Sell's goods were sold realizing £1,046 6 6, and John Geisinger's, amounting to £921 16 6, among which was a clock with a wal- nut case, sold for £35, several desks, and a num- ber of books. Henry Geisinger's property was sold Sept. 3, 1778, for £560 13 2. A Dutclı stove was sold for £4 10 0, a walnut table for £5, blacksmith tools for £74, and a clock for £37. Jacob Yoder's property, sold Sept. Ist realized £700 I 10, among which were sold sev- eral parcels of books, a Bible for £14 10 0, a clock for £35 and a number of pewter dishes.

CONTINENTAL MONEY.

The issue of paper money or bills of credit, not only by the several colonies, but by the Con- tinental Congress, became a necessity when the Revolutionary War began in 1775. The second Congress, on May 10, 1775, agreed to issue a sum not exceeding 2,000,000 "Spanish milled dollars," in bills of credit for the defence of America. Each colony was required to pay its proportion. They were issued in denominations of from one to eight dollars, 49,000 of each and 11,800 of twenty dollars each. The plates were engraved by Paul Revere, of Boston. The paper was so thick that the British called it "the paste- board currency of the rebels." The size of the bills averaged about 312 by 23/4 inches and in the face of each was a device significant in de- sign and legend.

New issues were made at various times until the close of 1779, when the aggregate amount was $242,000,000. Then the bills had so much depreciated that $100.00 in specie would pur- chase $2,600.00 in paper currency. It had per- formed a great work in enabling the colonists, without taxes the first three years of the war, to fight and baffle one of the most powerful na- tions in Europe. The total loss to the people, by depreciation and failure of redemption, operated as a tax, for that depreciation was gradual.

Many counterfeits of the bills were put into circulation by the British, who publicly adver- tised their sale in New York.

The Pennsylvania Assembly resolved to issue £35,000 in bills of credit, to bear date July 20, 1775. The mere issuing of these bills was an act of rebellion, as they were emitted by the mere resolve of the Assembly in defiance of their char- ter, and without reference to the Governor; and yet these notes, and those issued by resolution of Nov. 18th, same year, (bearing date Dec. 8) and of April 8, 1776, (date April 25), still hold

in its accustomed place the name of "his Majesty King George the Third."

Long afterwards these bills were known and spoken of in Acts of Assembly as "the resolve money," taking the name from the circumstances of their issue.

In March, 1777, it was resolved to emit £200,000 for the support of the army, and here the authority of "the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania" appears for the first time .* Various laws had been passed from time to time to call in the bills emitted during the dominion of Great Brit- ain, and in 1778, Congress requested the States to end the currency of notes issued prior to the 19th of April, 1775, as they had fallen into the hands of persons unfriendly to the new Govern- ment who held them, and made a discrimination in their favor, believing that they would ulti- mately be redeemed, whether the subsequent ones were or not; by this means causing the notes issued by the authority of Congress and of the several States to depreciate in value. Accord- ingly on the 23d of March, 1778, the Legisla- ture passed an act declaring such notes no longer to be a legal tender after the first of June, but that until that time they might be received at the treasury in payment of taxes, in exchange for later notes, &c. In the case of non-residents, the time for presenting them was extended to the first day of August; and by a subsequent act the issue of September 30th (date Oct. 25th), 1775. of £22,000 for the support of the Government was included within its provisions.

Previous to this, Pennsylvania had by a law passed in January, 1777, made the Congress is- sue a legal tender, and had imposed penalties on refusing to receive them, and on counterfeit- ing or altering them.

In March, 1780, the State emitted £100,000 for the support of the army, and to provide a fund for their redemption the Executive was empowered to sell certain properties in the city of Philadelphia, as well as Province Island in the township of Kingsessing :* so well have these pro- visions been carried into effect that not a vestige of the notes now remain. The act under which these notes were issued is a striking example of how the most consummate tyranny may be ex- ercised by even the most zealous devotees of liberty; not content with making them a legal tender, with declaring a refusal to take them an acquittance of the debt, by a supplement passed in the following December, they inflicted upon the first offence, a fine in value of double the

*These bills became known as "the Island money" from that circumstance.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

sum offered ; and upon the second, imprisonment to last during the war, together with confisca- tion of one-half of the offenders lands, goods and chattels.

About the same time Congress passed a resolu- tion calling on the State to contribute in certain proportions towards the support of the Govern- ment, and for that purpose they were to emit notes of a certain fixed form, the same for all the States, bearing interest and redeemable in six years, of which as well as of the principal the United States guaranteed the payment, and "would draw bills of exchange therefor when thereunto requested." Accordingly in June, Pennsylvania emitted $1,250,000 in notes, that long after bore the name of "the dollar money." In May, an act had been passed to receive the old continental money, at one dollar specie for forty in notes, and this emission was to be issued as specie on that basis.

In October a scale of depreciation was adopted, and certificates of pay due to the Pennsylvania Line, founded thereon, were is- sued, receivable in payment for the Public Lands, and the depreciation was ordered to be ascertained and published every month in the Philadelphia Gazettes. In April, 1781, the fol- lowing scale of the depreciation of paper com- pared with silver and gold was adopted by the Legislature:

2 3 3 3 3 3 December 4 1777 1-12

1778

1781

January

February

1-12

40-12 47-1/2 61-12

75 75

March

April

2-1,

June

2-1/2

61-1/2 00

July

August

70 72

October

73 74

And at the same time five hundred thousand pounds were ordered to be emitted for the sup- port of the army, of which £200,000 were to replace the issue of 1777, and the old currency at the depreciated value according to the scale. Ample funds were pledged to the redemption of this issue, and according to the report of the State Treasurer in 1805, there remained out- standing and unredeemed only £4,140 3s 7d. By this act (1781), the dollar was now legally rated at seven shillings and sixpence.

In June the old continental bills and the "re- solve money" were declared to be no longer a legal tender, and could be received only at the Treasury and at their current value. Acts were passed from time to time to facilitate the calling in the Bills of Credit, and to increase the

objects for which they could be received in pay- ments at the Treasury.

In 1783 a small issue of Treasury notes took place, which has been entirely redeemed, and no further emission was made until March, 1785, when, after a long discussion, and the rise, as in other States about the same time, of a paper money party, the great need of a currency led tos, the striking of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds in Bills of Credit, to be loaned out as former issues had been ; funds sufficient were set apart for their redemption, and £20,000 were di- rected to be annually destroyed, yet, confidence was not placed in them, and so rapid a deprecia- tion ensued, that shortly afterwards a supple- mentary act was passed to call them in much sooner than had been originally designed.

The withdrawal of these notes was expedited by the issue of certificates of State Loan, in ex- change for them and the old Continental Loan Office certificates, which was the beginning of the present fiscal history of the State. Of this issue the report of the State Treasurer, in 1805, states that the whole amount has been redeemed except the sum of £2,792 8s Id.

By the act of December the 4th, 1789, the "resolve money" and the issue of 1777, were no longer to be received at the Treasury after the first of January, 1791, thus entirely destroying. their vitality.

From time to time, in 1792, 1793 and 1794, acts were passed to facilitate the redemption of the issues of 1785, of 1781, and "The Dollar Money"; and the final disposition of the subject was made by an act passed on the fourth of April, 1805, which recited that "as now sufficient time had been allowed for the redemption of the Bills of Credit of this Commonwealth, that all such bills outstanding and not paid into the Treas- ury before the second Tuesday in January, 1806, should be forever irredeemable."

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 27

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158