History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 33

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 33

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When the insurgents saw the assessors coming they set up a great shout, and, as soon as they had approached within hailing distance, ordered them to stop. This they did not heed, as they had deter- mined not to place themselves in their power if it could be avoided. As they entered the village Messrs. Foulke and Rodrock separated, and did not ride in together, Mr. Childs having already stopped at the house of a neighbor just on the edge of the town. Rodrock now rode in advance, and, when he had passed about half through the crowd, without giving heed to their commands to stop, they started to run after him from both sides of the road, some carrying clubs and others mus- kets, and made motions as if they intended to strike him. John Fries was standing upon the porch of the tavern, and when he saw Rodrock coming up he called out to him to stop, but, pay- ing no attention to it, some of the men ran after him. The assessor, seeing himself pursued, wheeled his horse and demanded of Fries what he wanted with him. This seemed to excite the men the more, and they replied to him with curses, and ordered him, in an authorative tone, to deliver

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

himself up. To this he replied he would not do it while they addressed him in such language as they had applied to him. Some one in the crowd then gave the order to fire at him, when two men standing near the tavern door pointed their guns but did not fire. He now rode off toward ho- e, and when they saw him making his escape, they again commanded him to stop; some making dem- onstrations to get their horses and pursue him, but did not. When he reached the house of Daniel Penrose, seeing Jacob Fries and John Jamieson there, he halted and related to them what had taken place. He appeared to be much alarmed; said that Foulke and Childs had bee 1 captured, and was afraid they would be killed. He requested Jamieson to return to the village, and prevent them being hurt, which he declined doing unless Rodrock would accompany him ; but he was finally prevailed upon to go. He found the two assessors in the hands of the mob but not injured.

The other two assessors were less fortunate, both falling into the hands of the enemy. As Mr. Foulke, who was some little ways in the rear of Mr. Rodrock, approached Roberts' tavern, the crowd ran out to surround him. Some took hold of the horse's bridle, while others, among them Captain Kuyder, seized his person. John Fries came up at this moment and commanded him to dismount, saying that he desired to speak to him, while the surrounding crowd demanded he should be pulled off his horse. There was great danger of violent hands being laid on him, and he began to be alarmed at his situation. At this critical moment, the two Hoovers, John and Jacob, came to his assistance, and interfered with the excited multitude in his behalf. They ordered the mob to desist from their insults, and let Mr. Foulke alone, who would get off his horse without any compulsion. They gave the insurgents to under- stand the assessors would not be injured while they could protect them. Their resolute conduct somewhat silenced the crowd. Mr. Foulke deem- ed it the best policy to comply with their de- mands, inasmuch as he was not in a condition to help himself, and therefore rode up to the tavern shed, where he dismounted, tied his horse, and went into the house. The crowd followed him and soon the bar-room was filled. Now Fries re- minded him that he had warned him the day be- fore not to assess the houses in Milford township, and yet they had done so contrary to his orders. He then demanded Foulke's papers, which were delivered to Fries, who, after reading carefully, returned them. The assessor was now suffered to depart, Fries escorting him through the people to his horse, and holding the bridle while he mounted, when he rode off. Fries admitted to

Foulke that he had violated the law, probably enough to endanger his life, and told him that he might "return him to the court if he wanted to do so."

It will be remembered that Mr. Childs did not accompany Rodrock and Foulke into Quaker- town, but stopped at the edge of it-at the house of Esquire Griffith, who lived where Joseph R. Lancaster resided, 1859, where he dismounted and went in. As he was getting off his horse, Mrs. Griffith came out of the house and told him the people had come to make him and the others prisoners, and there was a large crowd in the village waiting to catch them. A few moments after he entered the house, a little girl came into the room and said the insurgents were taking Mr. Foulke, and, upon going to the window, saw them all around him. When he saw the danger which menaced his companions, he was going out to assist them, but the family persuaded him to remain where he was, and not place himself in unnecessary danger. In a little while John Fries came to the house and saluted Childs in a friendly manner, but told him he must accompany him to where his men were; and, as he had not the pow- er to resist, concluded he might as well yield with as good grace as possible, and thereupon consented to go. As they walked along, Fries said to Childs he had told him yesterday not to go to another house, and how they had come to make him prisoner if they found he intended to go on with the assessments. Childs replied that he and the others were obliged to fulfil their office, unless interrupted by force. When they entered the tavern, Fries addressed himself to his men and Childs, saying: "Here are my men-here is one of them." Going into the bar-room he seated himself upon a table and soon there were several around him. One man damned him and said he should go to the liberty pole and dance around it. During this time they were crowding upon him and pushing, and he received several thumps with the knees and fists. At first he was taken for Rodrock, but when it was discovered he was not, they cursed him anew for being somebody else. He then made himself known as Cephus Childs, when some one remarked he was no better than the others. They asked him a multitude of questions about the assessments; how the people liked it where he had been, whether he had taken the oath of allegiance to the United States, &c., &c. That the reader may judge of the temper the people were in, we make the following extract from the testimony of Mr. Childs, given on the trial :

"They damned the house tax and the stamp act, and called me a 'stampler,' repeatedly ; they damned the Alien and Sedition laws, and finally

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all the laws; the government and all the laws the present government had made. They damned the Constitution, also. They did not mention what constitution, whether of this state or of the United States. They damned the Congress, and damned the President, and all the friends to government, because they were all tories, as none were friends to the present government but the tories. They said they would not have the govern- ment, nor the President, and they would not live under such a damned government; 'we will have Washington ;' others said, 'No, we will have Jef- ferson, he is a better man than Adams; huzza for Jefferson.' "

Those assembled continued in this strain, and constantly expressed themselves as opposed to the law, and their determination to resist its execu- tion. 'They boasted that every man in North- ampton county would assist them except a few tories, and that between Quakertown and the Delaware, they could raise ten thousand men ; and further that General Washington had sent them word that he had twenty thousand men to assist them. Some spoke in German and others in English. After John Fries took Mr. Childs into the house, he left him among the crowd and went out again, being gone some time. When he returned he apologized to him for the manner in which his men had used him. He then took him into an inner room where there were but few people, and demanded his assessment papers. He gave him some papers he had about him, but which did not refer to the collection of taxes, when Fries gave a shout and told his men he had got what they wanted. He then went out of the room, most of his men following him. The crowd were gone but a short time when they returned without Fries, shouting, and rushing up to Childs and took hold of him. Some were armed with clubs, guns, pistols, &c., and others had swords. Daniel Weidner, whose house he had assessed in the morn- ing, was with them, who insisted upon Childs sur- rendering to him the assessment he had made of his house, but he did not give it up. They again took hold of him and shook him severely ; and one man came forward and said he should be shot. Conrad Marks was present armed with a sword, who made many threats, but did not attempt to put any of them into execution. Childs attempted to reason with them, but it had little if any effect toward pacifying them. During this proceeding, Fries returned into the room and gave back the papers to Childs, telling him at the same time he must now go home, and never come back again into the township to assess, or he would be shot. To this he replied that he had left the township with a view of not returning to it again unless

compelled to do so by authority, and that, from their present treatment, as he would never be likely to come back without such authority, they might have leave to shoot him. They then told him they wished him and Mr. Foulke to inform the government what had been done, as soon as they pleased. After a little more parleying they gave him liberty, when he rode off, glad enough to make his escape from such unpleasant company.

There is some discrepancy as regards what took place at Quakertown the day the assessors were captured, between the records of the transac- tion and the relation of those who have a recollec- tion of the event. We had interviews with some of the oldest inhabitants of that section upon the sub- ject, and find them at variance with the testimony drawn from other sources. They state that the assessors were chased to Quakertown by Fries and his party, and that he snapped his gun three times at Mr. Foulke; that the latter sprang from his horse at the porch of Enoch Roberts' tavern and ran in, when they hid him in the cellar, where he remained concealed until ten o'clock, when he was released and ran home. Another version has it that he was hid under the counter in the bar-room, and that Fries hunted all through the house, but was unable to find him; that they got Fries, Heaney and Getman drunk, when Foulke stole out and went home. Still another story is that he was kept confined in a stable, and that Mr. Childs was sent to inform his wife, but was afraid to go into the house, and walked in the yard until ten o'clock at night, when Foulke came home. These statements differ so widely, from the evi- dence given on the trial, we have thought it best to follow the testimony, believing that to be the nearest correct, because it was related under oath soon after the events happened. One circumstance is told by those who remember the difficulty, which seems so reasonable it is probably true ; that a man named Everhart pointed his gun at Foulke, while they had him imprisoned at the tavern, but was so drunk he fell over while doing so. They afterward examined the gun, and found that the ball had been put in the bottom and the powder on top.

The circumstances which took place at Quaker- town decided the assessors to make no further at- tempt to take assessments in Milford, as they were convinced it would lead to difficulty, and, possibly, bloodshed. In other parts of the county the law was quietly acquiesced in, and the officers discharged their duty peaceably, but it was, never- theless, very unpopular and odious. For the time being, Fries and his friends had prevented the ex- ecution of the law in the disaffected district, but as far as we have been able to learn. no public

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

outrages were committed, and their only desire seemed to be to prevent the officers, by intimida- tion, from making the assessments.

The foregoing embraces the proceedings of the insurrectionists, or insurgents, while opposing the execution of the house tax law in Milford. It will be noticed their whole conduct was of that earnest character which marks the actions of men who are sincere in what they are doing. While there was, naturally, considerable noise and con- fusion attendant upon their conduct, and high excitement prevailing, there was no unnecessary disturbance, and nothing that can properly be called violence. Rude they were, but not to an extent to create a breach of peace. We have every reason to believe they considered the law of the most oppressive character, and their minds had properly been inflamed against it by the misrepre- sentation of others. This opinion had been form- ed before they had an opportunity to learn its provisions and operations, and they were after- ward either too much prejudiced, or their pride would not permit them, to be rightly informed. The law of itself was a mild one, and no one who examines it at this day can see anything in it to cause such opposition to it. The rates were light, and the burden of the tax fell upon the shoulders of those who were the best able to bear it. There was likewise a public necessity for that or a simi- lar Act of Congress, and it was necessary that the revenue should be increased, as there was every probability of the government being driven into a war with one of the most powerful nations of Europe. The situation of the politics of the coun- try had something to do with the opposition that was raised against the law. But recently, before their passage, the two statutes known as the Alien and Sedition Laws had passed Congress, which were received with a burst of indignation that had never been equaled in the country. They brought the administration of Mr. Adams into great unpopularity, if not detestation. The odium that rested upon these laws was reflected upon the house tax, and thus it was condemned in advance because it was found in bad company. Many honest people believed that an Act of Congress taxing the country, emanating from the same government which had given them the Alien and Sedition Laws, must naturally be a wicked one, and, they were so well convinced of this, they were not open to persuasion to the contrary. An- other circumstance, in connection with the man- ner in which the law was executed, had something to do with its great unpopularity. The officers exceeded their duties, and went beyond their in- structions. The assessors were only required, by law, to assess the houses, lands and slaves, and were not directed to count the window lights of

the houses, which were a duty superadded by the officers who had charge of affairs. The fact of the window lights being counted created suspicion in the minds of the people that it was done for the purpose of making them the subject of future taxation. This, more than anything else, led to the meetings held by the people, and, notwith- standing the unpopularity of the measure, there would probably never have been any "insurrec- tion" or outbreak, had the assessors confined them- selves to the duties which the law required of them. The abuse of the law had probably more to do with causing the disturbance than the law itself.

Having recounted the opposition to the House Tax Law in Bucks county, and the disturbance growing out of it, we shall now proceed to show what took place in Northampton.

It will be remembered that Jacob Eyerley was appointed commissioner for a district composed of the counties of Northampton, Luzerne and Wayne. As soon as the law was passed, the people of Northampton manifested so much oppo- sition to it, Commissioner Eyerley believed there would be difficulty in carrying it out. This was before he had entered upon the discharge of his duties. While at Reading, in October, he was informed by the commissioner from Bucks, that he had seen persons who had traveled through that county, and in every tavern he stopped at, the law was the subject of general conversation and de- nunciation, and great pains were taken to find the friends of government, in order to persuade them not to accept the office of assessor. In con- sequence of this feeling there was great difficulty in finding suitable persons for these appointments. He selected one in each township, taking the most suitable for the duties, from all the information he could get. Commissions were immediately sent them, with notice to meet the commissioner to receive instructions. At that time the commis- sioner did not believe the state of things was as bad in Northampton as he afterward found it to be. The disaffection in Bucks had spread over the line into some of the neighboring townships of the adjoining county, and the people had be- come as hostile to the tax as Fries and his neigh- bors.

Commissioner Eyerley divided Northampton into three districts and first met the assessors No- vember 3, at Nazareth. Two were absent, and some of those present asked to be excused from serving, on account of the hostility of the people and the assessors' fear of injury. As the com- missioner had no authority to relieve them they were not excused. Finding them misinformed of the nature and operation of the law the com- missioner took great pains to disabuse their minds,

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and, with such success, they consented to serve, and were given instructions. The following day he met the assessors of the second district at Allen- town, all being present but one. The same diffi- culty met him here he had to contend with at Nazareth, disinclination to accept for the same reason, opposition of the people to the law, and fear of being assaulted, should they attempt to make the assessments. With a good deal of diffi- culty those present were induced to accept the ap- pointments. As it was taken for granted the absent assessor, a Mr. Horne, did not intend to accept, a blank commission was left with Mr. Stephen Balliet, a prominent resident of the coun- ty, with authority to appoint some suitable man in place of Mr. Horne. The assessors of the first district were met November 6, in Chestnut Hill township, with two absentees. One of these was a Mr. Kern, of Easton, but as it was not con- venient for him to accept, he named a Mr. Sny- der, who was only commissioned. He met with the others the same day; accepted the appointment and served. He stated there was much opposition to the law in his section of the county, and he did not understand it very well himself, but would do the best he could. The commissioner took con- siderable pains to explain the provision of the law, which entirely satisfied him. He now became quite warm in its favor, and said he would ride fifty miles if it were necessary to accept the ap- pointment, since he had been wrongly informed about the law in the first place. The assessor from Hamilton township did not seem willing to accept his appointment, and it required a good deal of explanation and persuasion to overcome his disinclination. He at last consented, how- ever, accepted his commission, and received his instructions.

In Northampton county the principal part of the opposition to the law was in the townships of Heidelberg, Weisenberg, Lynn, Lowhill, Penn, Moore, Upper Milford and Hamilton. In four districts it was of such violent character the law was not executed until after the troops were marched into them, and, in some of them, the peo- ple were almost unanimous against it. In Moore township, the opposition was only among a por- tion of the inhabitants, and, when the assessor was opposed when making the assessment, he call- ed a town meeting and took the sense of the peo- ple. The assessor of Penn township did not meet the commissioners, but refused to accept the ap- pointment in view of the difficulties in his way. Some time elapsed before any one could be found willing to accept the office, but, finally, one bold enough to assume the responsibility, presented himself and he was commissioned and qualified. When the people of the township heard that an-

other person had been appointed in place of the one first named, and had undertaken to discharge the duties of the office, they became very violent and threatened him with personal injury. The leaders of the opposition collected a number of the dis-af- fected into a mob, who waited upon the assessor, and gave him to understand harm would be done him if he attempted to take the rates. This dem- onstration intimidated him to such degree he re- signed, and declined to have anything more to do with it. The hostility to the law continued so great in this township, the assessments were not made until sometime late in the spring of 1799, and after the presence of a military force had completely quelled everything like opposition.

The spirit of insubordination first manifested itself a little while before the general election, when meetings were held in different parts of the county to take action upon the subject. At one of these meetings the officers of the militia were invited to be present, and their co-operation, as the leaders of the military of the county, was earnestly desired. The leading object was to nominate candidates opposed to the law. At this meeting several resolutions were passed, one recommend- ing the circulation of petitions asking a repeal of the Alien and Sedition Laws and the land tax. The proceedings were published in the newspapers and circulated among the people. A petition was given to each of the captains of militia to get signers. On the day of election the people turned out very generally, and, in most of the districts the opposition to the government was so general, its friends dare not say a word in its favor for fear of being abused. The anti-administration candidates were elected by considerable majori- ties, and the people, generally, rejoiced at their success.

In Hamilton township, the people were so much enraged at Nicholas Michael, the assessor, for accepting the appointment, they went in large numbers to his house at night to do him bodily injury, but, being informed of their intention, he sought safety in flight. The next day he went to the commissioner and made complaint of the treat- ment he had received, tendered his resignation, and begged its acceptance. This was declined ; he was told to return to his duty, and he would be protected in the discharge of it. He accom- panied the commissioner to Easton, to see Mr. Sitgreaves, the United States Attorney for the district, before whom he intended to make af- fidavit in order to have some of the evil-disposed placed under arrest. Mr. Sitgreaves not being at home, they went to Judge Traill, an associate judge of the county ; but, when they arrived there, Michael became alarmed and begged to be allowed until the next morning to consider the matter;

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

saying, that if he informed against the people he and his family would be ruined. In the morning he wished to be put in jail to be kept from danger, so great were his fears, but his request was not complied with.

In the present state of excitement the commis- sioner deemed it advisable to call a public meet- ing at which the people could come together and have the law explained to them, as he was of opinion the greater part of the opposition arose from a misconception of its provisions. With this object in view, he gave Mr. Michael a letter to take to the constable of the township, requesting him to fix the time and place for the meeting, and to give proper and timely notice thereof. Mr. Eyerley promised to be present to explain the law to such as did not understand it. The constable, accordingly, announced the meeting to be held at the public house of a Mr. Heller, and the time fixed was a few days before New Year's, but we have not been able to ascertain the precise day. The commissioner was present according to promise, being accompanied into the township by William Henry, one of the Associate Judges of Northampton. When they arrived at the place of meeting they found some seventy persons as- sembled, among them three or four in uniform, whose arms were stacked behind the tavern door. After the meeting was organized, Mr. Eyerley arose and stated that he had come there as their friend, to explain the house tax law, that they might no longer be in ignorance of its provisions. He and Judge Henry then proceeded to explain the statutes as they understood them, but with little effect, as the people were not disposed to listen to any explanation that would be likely to give them a more favorable opinion of the odious law. They hated it, and did not wish to think well of it. In order to reconcile the people, to the assessment of the rates, he proposed they should elect an assessor of their own; this they refused to do, saying, if they did, it would amount to submission to the law, which they did not mean to make. The assessor already appointed was anxious to resign, but this he was not allowed to do, as no one could be found who would accept the appointment in his place.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 33

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