History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 21

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 21

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

French War, 1799 .- France had materially helped the colonies in their struggle for independence, and in return France looked to the United States for aid and com- fort in its grapple with Europe and its long war with its arch-enemy, England. Americans were content to let France do her own fighting, and even became so friendly with England as to excite the jealously of the Gauls. France therefore adopted meas- ures openly inimical to American commerce; dismissed curtly the American minister at Paris, and licensed her ships of war to prey upon American merchantmen. The United States tried negotiations, and exhausted the means of pacification, and then openly prepared for war with France. In January, 1799, the American sloop-of-war "Retaliation" was captured by the French vessel "Insurgent" of forty guns. February following, the American frigate "Constellation," thirty-two guns, Capt. Truxtun, met the "Insurgent," engaged her, and compelled her to strike her col- ors. In a few days after the same American vessel engaged the French frigate "Vengeance," of fifty-four guns; the fight was severe and lasted from 8 in the evening till 1 the next morning, when the second French vessel struck colors, but this was not seen in the dark by Capt. Truxtun, and the Frenchmen and vessel escaped, but with terrible loss.

The nation was now thoroughly aroused. President Adams requested Gen. Washington to again assume command of the army, and a call for troops was issued. In the call for volunteers Luzerne county as usual was prompt to hear and her men

170

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

turn out. In May, 1799, again the gallant Capt. Samuel Bowman, with seventy-five men, went to the front, and became attached to the Eleventh United States infantry, and marched to the Delaware and thence to Newburg, and were in the service until the latter part of the year 1800, when the war-cloud passed away happily, and the army was disbanded, immediately after Bonaparte became first consul of France.

Trouble with England. - In 1807 the British frigate "Leopard," without cause or notice, fired on the American frigate "Chesapeake." Other insults were given the American flag, and the frequency of these outrages began to portend war. Luzerne county was again to the fore. The Wyoming Blues, Capt. Joseph Slocum, Lieut. Isaac Bowman, Sergt. Benjamin Perry, in a letter breathing patriotism and war, tendered their services to President Jefferson. This tender must have mightily pleased the President, and in an autograph letter to Slocum, Bowman and Perry, he thanks them warmly. The letter concludes, after referring them to the State authorities : "I salute you with great respect, Th. Jefferson."

War of 1812 .- After a long series of taunts and insults, the United States was stung to a declaration of war against England.

The "Wyoming Matross," a volunteer company in Kingston, commanded by Capt. Samuel Thomas, with promptness offered their services to the government, and were accepted April 13, 1813, marching from Kingston to the Eddy, at the mouth of Shoop's creek, in Plymouth, where they embarked, numbering thirty-one men, and proceeded to Danville; thence overland to Bedford, where Capt. Thomas recruited thirty-seven men, recruiting twenty-seven more men in Fayette county, and reached Erie with ninety-five men all told. The following were the Luzerne county men: Captain, Samuel Thomas; first lieutenant, Phineas Underwood; second lieutenant, Ziba Hoyt; third lieutenant, Andrew Sheets; ensign, Edward Gilchrist; sergeants, John Carkhuff, Jacob Taylor, Absolom Roberts, Henry Jones, George W. Smith, John Bowman; corporals, Christopher Miner, Daniel Cochevour, Samuel Parrish, Ebenezer Freeman, John Blane; gunners, Stephen Evans, Isaac Hollister, John Prince, James Bird, Morris Crammer, Festus Freeman, James Devans; drummer, Alexander Lord; fifer, Araba Amsden; privates, Daniel Hoover, John Daniels, James W. Barnum, William Pace, James Bodfish, Godfrey Bowman, Ben- jamin Hall, Solomon Parker, Ezekiel Hall, Sylvanus Moore, Hallet Gallup.

This artillery company did fine execution in the cannonading at Presque Har- bor, firing no less than thirty shots into the hull of the brig "Hunter," and also cut away much of the rigging and injured the " Queen Charlotte." Preparatory to Perry's notable victory on Lake Erie, he had called for volunteers from the land forces. Among those who offered their services were William Pace, Benjamin Hall, Godfrey Bowman and James Bird, of the "Matross" company. They were sent on board the " Niagara," and all distinguished themselves eminently. James Bird fought almost by the side of Commodore Perry, was wounded, but when told to go below, refused, and continued in the battle. The State presented each of these volunteers a medal; but here comes a most sad and painful story. James Bird never received his more than thrice-earned medal, but instead, was shot kneel- ing on his coffin-as a deserter.

News of the intended attack on New Orleans had reached the army on the lakes when Bird, fired solely with an ambition to be in the battle at New Orleans, one night when in command of the guards, marched off with several of his men to join Jackson's forces, was arrested at Pittsburg, brought back, court-martialed and shot. Poor fellow! shot for an excess of bravery and patriotism. In behalf of the memory of Commodore Perry, it is said that poor Bird was dead before he heard of the affair, or otherwise he would have saved him. Hon. Charles Miner wrote and published a poem, telling graphically the pathetic story of James Bird.

The "Matross" company was in Col. Hill's regiment, and under Gen. Harri- son; advanced from Erie to Cleveland and joined the main army September 27,

171

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

crossing into Canada, moving against Malden, which the enemy deserted, after burning the public buildings. Advancing toward Sandwich, the Americans found that place also deserted. Thence they crossed the Detroit river to attack Gen. Proctor, who, with several hundred British troops and a large body of Indians under the celebrated chief Tecumseh, was in possession of Detroit. Capt. Thomas' company was in the forward gunboats in the passage across the river, and, landing, planted the stars and stripes on the opposite bank. Proctor and his forces retreated, whom Gen. Harrison immediately pursued with the main body of his army, including the whole of the "Matross," except fourteen men, who were left with Capt. Thomas at Detroit. In the battle of the Thames the company was commanded by Lieut. Ziba Hoyt, and acquitted itself with credit, sustaining the reputation of Luzerne for good and true soldiers.

In addition to the company of Capt. Thomas, Luzerne furnished a number of volunteers for the companies of Capt. John Baldy, of Columbia, and Capt. Robert Gray, of Northumberland counties. Among these were Job Barton, William Hart, William Brown, Henry Harding, Luther Scott, W. C. Johnson, and about thirty others. These companies were attached to the Sixteenth regiment of infantry, known as the " Bloody Sixteenth." This regiment was commanded by Col. Crom- well Pearce. It was present at the engagements of Sackett's Harbor, Stony Creek, and of other places. At the battle of York, in Canada, when Gen. Pike was killed by the blowing up of the magazine, Col. Pearce, of this regiment, assumed the command of the army, and received the capitulation of the enemy. During the war there was a recruiting station established at Wilkes-Barre, and the names of Capts. Baldy, Gray and McChesney, of the infantry, and Helme of the cavalry are remem- bered. The infantry barracks were located on the bank of the river, opposite the residence of Col. H. B. Wright, and the cavalry barracks were located on Franklin street, on the site of the residence of the late Joshua Miner. At 4 o'clock A. M., the drums beat the reveille, and drill officers with new recruits daily paraded in the streets. At short intervals one or more detachments were sent away to the regular army.

In 1814, when the British threatened an attack on Baltimore, five companies of militia from Luzerne and adjoining counties marched under the command of Capts. Joseph Camp, Peter Hallock, Frederick Bailey, George Hidley and Jacob Bitten- bender. The Wyoming Blues, a volunteer company, assembled at Wilkes-Barre, with the intention of accompanying the militia, but, some difficulty occurring, the company broke up in a row. Several of its officers and privates entered the ranks of the militia, while eight or ten men, with drums beating, marched toward the seat of war, under the colors of the Wyoming Blues. On the arrival of these companies at Danville, they received intelligence of the gallant defence of Fort Henry, and the repulsion of the British forces. They consequently received orders to return to their homes-an order welcome, doubtless, to men of families, but bringing disap- pointment to others who were anticipating the excitements of an active campaign.

Mexican War .- December 7, 1846, the Wyoming Artillerists, Capt. E. L. Dana, left Wilkes-Barre for the seat of war in Mexico; going to Pittsburg by canal, where they were mustered into service; a part of the First Regiment Pennsylvania Volun- teers, to serve during the war. At this point First Lieut. Francis L. Bowman was elected major, and company "I" left Pittsburg, December 22 for New Orleans by steamboat, reaching there went into camp on Jackson's old battle ground, about seven miles below the city, remaining there until January 16, 1847, then sailed and were landed at the Island of Lobos (Wolf Island), which they reached February 1. . The passage to this point was stormy and tedious. The island where they landed is about twelve miles from the Mexican coast, and 120 miles north of Vera Cruz. It is about one mile in circumference, and was covered with a thick growth of chaparral; and the water used by the troops for cooking was of a brackish character, being sea- water filtered through the sand.

172

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

March 3 the company left Lobos and sailed for Anton Lizardo, nine miles below Vera Cruz, where they arrived two days after. On the 9th of March a landing was effected on the Mexican coast, at a point three miles south of Vera Cruz. The fleet had hardly swung to its cables when Gen. Worth's division, with wonderful celerity, filled the surf-boats, and, at a signal from the ship of the commander-in- chief, darted for the shore amid the enthusiastic cheers of the army and of our gal- lant tars. By 9 o'clock of the night of that day, 12,000 men had landed without firing a gun, and were marshaled within two miles of the city. The army com- menced the next morning its march through the thick chaparral and sand-hills for the investment of Vera Cruz. The day was intensely hot, and many men were stricken down by coup de soleil. To add to their sufferings, they dare not drink of the water of the springs of the country; as a report was abroad that they were poisoned by the enemy. It was the fortune of the Wyoming Artillerists to receive the first fire of the Mexicans. Passing through the chaparral by a narrow path, along the base of a gentle declivity, the enemy poured their fire upon them, when the company was halted, and delivered their own with admirable coolness. The Greasers fled to the city. The company participated actively in the investment of the place and was engaged throughout the siege. The trenches were opened on the 22d, and after a terrible storm of iron had been blown on the city for a few days and nights, it surrendered to the American army on March 29, 1847.

In April the volunteer division left the city for the interior, under the command of Maj. - Gen. Patterson. Having arrived at Plan del Rio, fifty miles from Vera Cruz, they found Gen. Twiggs with his division of regulars already there. The Mexicans, under Gen. Santa Ana, were strongly posted in the pass of Cerro Gordo. On the morning of April 18, the American army attacked the Mexican lines. The volunteer brigade formed the left wing, under the command of Gen. Pillow, to which the Wyoming Artillerists were attached. The brigade took a posi- tion within 200 yards of the Mexican batteries, which opened upon them .a tremen- dous fire of grape. The Wyoming boys suffered but slightly; but the Second Tennessee regiment, occupying more elevated grounds, suffered severely, and Gen. Pillow him- self was wounded. In twenty minutes the line of attack was completed, and the brigade moved forward toward the batteries. The Mexicans now displayed the white flag from their defences, for their left wing had been completely routed by the forces under Gens. Twiggs, Shields, Worth and Quitman. The fruits of this victory were 3,000 prisoners, 5,000 stand of arms, forty-three cannon, the money chest of the Mexican army, containing $20,000, and a free passage for the army into the interior of the enemy's country. In this action David R. Morrison, of the Wyoming company, was killed, and Corporal Kitchen wounded.

After the battle the volunteer force encamped three miles west of Jalapa, where they remained about three weeks. They were then ordered to Perote, a place about thirty-five miles west of Jalapa, on the main road to the capital. Here they took up their quarters in the celebrated castle of Perote, and formed its garrison. The period of their stay here was the most melancholy of the whole campaign, for the burial of the dead was the principal feature of their soldier life.

Here those ravages of the army, diarrhoea and typhus fever, broke out and made fearful havoc in their ranks. For many weeks was heard, almost constantly, the melancholy strains of the dead march accompanying their messmates to lonely and forgotten graves. It was a joyful day when they received orders to leave the gloomy castle and dreary plains of Perote. About the 2d of July they marched for the city of Puebla. On the night of the 4th, when the soldiers had taken to their blankets, the camp was alarmed by an attack on the pickets, which were driven in. Satisfied with this, the enemy retired.

Having reached El Pinal, or the Black Pass, Gen. Pillow anticipated a fight, for the enemy were posted there, prepared to dispute the passage. The Wyoming

173

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

boys formed part of the storming party, and behaved gallantly; but when the light troops had scaled the hights commanding the gorge, the Mexicans abandoned their position and fled.

On July 7 they approached the fine old city of Puebla. Here Gen. Scott by August 1 had concentrated about 11,000 men of all arms. On the 7th of that month the army left Puebla for the City of Mexico. The Wyoming company, with five others of the First Pennsylvania regiment, remained behind, constituting, with a company of United States artillery and one of cavalry, the garrison of Puebla. There were about 600 men under the command of Col. Childs, a brave and skillful officer. To this small force was entrusted the charge of 2,000 sick men, and an immense amount of government property. The population of the city was turbulent and warlike, and evinced an uncompromising hostility toward the Americans. The place now was besieged by the Mexicans, who harassed the garrison, day and night, with alarms and attacks. This continued for forty days; but our men, occupying strong and favorable positions, maintained their ground, and the enemy failed so far as not to succeed in driving in a single sentinel.

In this siege John Priest was killed in an engagement with guerrillas, outside the city walls. Luke Floyd, a brave old soldier, who, with Priest, was a member of the Wyoming company, was severely wounded.

The arrival of Gen. Lane with 3,000 men, on October 12, put an end to the siege. In this arrival there were four companies of the First Pennsylvania regiment, which had been left in the garrison at Perote. They had participated in the fight at Hua- mantla, under the command of Maj. F. L. Bowman, of Wilkes-Barre, who led them up in gallant style. His conduct on this occasion was highly spoken of by all who witnessed it. Not long after the raising of the siege the regiment, now united, left Puebla, and on December 7, 1847, arrived in the City of Mexico, where they remained about two weeks. They were then quartered at San Angel, seven miles from the city, until the treaty of peace in June, 1848.

They now returned to their country at New Orleans, and passing up the Missis- sippi and Ohio to Pittsburg, they were honorably discharged at that place, and mustered out of service by reason of the expiration of the term of enlistment, July 24, 1848.

The Columbia Guards, of Danville, Pa., constituting a portion of the Sec- ond regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, was composed of volunteers from Luzerne county, under Edward E. Leclerc, of Wilkes-Barre, who was elected second lieutenant of the company. Among the names of privates who united with the Guards under Lieut. Leclerc, we are able to give those of Norman B. Mack, Peter Brobst, Abram B. Carley, Randolph Ball, George Garner, Oliver Helme, Joseph H. Stratton, William Kutz and William White.

Edward E. Leclerc was appointed regiment quartermaster, November 8, 1847, and a few days later became first lieutenant of his company.

Roster of the First Independent company, Capt. Robert Durkee, in Col. John Durkee's Connecticut regiment, at Morristown, August 8, 1777; enlisted September 17, 1776: Captain, Robert Durkee; lieutenants, James Wells, Asahel Buck: ensign, Herman Swift; sergeants, Thomas McClure, Peregrene Gardner, Thomas Baldwin, John Hutchinson; corporals, Edward Setter, Azel Hyde, Jeremiah Coleman, Benjamin Clark. Privates: Walter Baldwin, James Bagley, Eleazer Butler, Moses Brown, David Brown, Charles Bennett, William Buck, Jr., Asa Brown, James Brown, Jr., Waterman Baldwin, John Carey, Jesse Coleman, William Cornelius, Samuel Cole, William Davidson, Douglas Davison, William Dunn. Daniel Denton, Samuel Ensign, Nathaniel Evans, John Foster, Frederick Follet, Nathaniel Fry, James Frisby, Jr., Elisha Garret, James Gould, Titus Garret, Mumfred Gardner, Abraham Hamester, Israel Harding, Henry Harding, Thomas -, Stephen Hard- ing, Oliver Harding, Richard Halstead, Thomas Hill, John Halstead, Benjamin

174

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

Harvey, Solomon Johnson, Asahel Jerome, John Kelly, Stephen Munson, Seth Marvin, Martin Nelson, Stephen Pettibone, Stephen Preston, Thomas Porter, Aaron Perkins, John Perkins, Ebenezer Phillips, Ashbel Robinson, Ira Stevens, Elisha Sills, Ebenezer Shiner, Asa Smith, Robert Sharer, Isaac Smith, Robert Sharer, Luke Swetland, Shadrach Sills, Samuel Tubbs, William Terry, John Tubbs, Ephraim Tyler, Edward Walker, Obadiah Walker, James Wells, Jr., Nathaniel Williams, Thomas Wilson.

Roster of the Second Independent company, Capt. Samuel Ransom, three-year- men; enlisted January 1, 1777: Captain, Samuel Ransom; lieutenant, Simon Spalding (captain, June 24, 1778); sergeant, Timothy Pierce (ensign, December 3, 1777, and lieutenant, January 17, 1778); lieutenant, John Jenkins; sergeants, Parker Wilson, Joseph Pasco. Privates: Caleb Atherton, Mason F. Alden, Samuel Billings, Isaac Benjamin, Oliver Bennett, Asahel Burnham, Rufus Bennett, Benjamin Clark, Gordon Church, Price Cooper, Josiah Corning, Benja- min Cole, Nathan Church, Daniel Franklin, Charles Gaylord, Ambrose Gay- lord, Justin Gaylord, Benjamin Hempstead, Timothy Hopkins, William Kellog, Jesse Bezale, Jehial Billings, Lawrence Kinney, Daniel Lawrence, Nicholas Mans- well, Elisha Mathewson, Constant Mathewson, William McClure, Thomas Neal, Asahel Nash, John O'Neal, Peter Osterhout, Amos Ormsburg, Thomas Packett, Ebenezer Roberts, Samuel Saucer, Asa Sawyer, Stephen Skiff, John Swift, Constant Searle, William Smith, Jr., Elisha Satterlee, Robert Spencer, John Vangordon, Thomas Williams, Caleb Warden, Richard Woodstock, Elija Walker, Zeber Williams.

The part taken in the Revolution by the people is given in the preceding account of the movements of the Connecticut settlers. They not only answered all possible demands made upon them by the colonial authorities, either in men or money, but bravely met the double troubles of the conflict with the Indians and the Pennsylvania proprietaries in the bitter struggle for the possession of the soil. In the darkest hours they resolved in town meetings most bravely. They were a band of heroes, isolated, as it were, from the world, weak in numbers, surrounded with the most appalling difficulties, and sometimes it almost seemed that not only the Indians and Pennsylvanians, but even the Connecticut authorities on one or two occasions seemed ready to pluck them much after the fashion of the others.

Civil War .- The progress of mankind in the great highway of civilization, as anomalous as it may seem, has, as Buckle says, been largely propelled forward in its course, first by the invention of gunpowder and then by the different inventions in guns to use that powder in the awful work of destroying men's lives. The glories of peace and the peaceful arts, letters and science advanced, as it seems, not by piety and prayers, but by the horrors of the bloody battle-field. Some philoso- phers have long held that man was a dreadfully lazy animal, given to dawdling and filth, in which, unless impelled by hunger or cold, he would sink in final rottenness; as we may figure the great oak trees would only send one straight root into the soil, if it were not for the storms that would soon come and lay it prone upon the ground. Ie national life here again like that of the individual? Is it a common necessity that those terrible travails of the ages must come to our race that they may be com- pelled to grow strong and heroic in order to live at all ? All lands and times have had their sword-storms-storm-swept with fire and sword, the people butchered, made captives and slaves; and much of the world's printed history as we get it is but the awful record of war and the unspeakable agonies of nations. Theoretically the great man is he who creates or invents something promotive of the good of his fellow-man-" he who makes two blades of grass grow where only one would grow before"-but practically it is the great captains who make the great red gaps of war, who win victories, who slay and conquer the enemy the most successfully. To destroy the enemy in wholesale and detail, this is the great and honored hero;

177

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

not the patient nurse that binds up the wounds, and ministers to the dying; the benefactors of mankind, it seems, amounts to precious little compared to the Napo- leons of destruction. War is a kind of school for half-civilized men. It picks up the rural clod, arrays him in a bright uniform, places him in the close crowded camp, where for the first time he mingles with men of the world and daily the ignorant lout becomes more and more of a cosmopolitan; he sees something of the world that is all new to him; is the butt end of practical jokes that fairly send him spinning along the highway of education-real education; and mayhap he is fired by what he sees with a great ambition and he becomes a phenomenal man-slayer and then the band begins to play "See the conquering hero comes." And to crown all, on walls of palace and hovel may be seen flaming chromos, with this adorable creature riding at the head of the shouting multitude that strew the road with flowers. When he has whipped all creation what is more natural than that all creation should crown and adore him? The uniform is the soldier's open sesame to glory.

One of the greatest industries of the race has been that of cultivating and encour- aging excellence in the art of human slaughter. Teaching youths to sigh for the glorious day when they can trig themselves out in a uniform and in lock-step march to the dreadful, ear-splitting fife and snare drum. Even our great government, " of the people, for the people and by the people," has provided for military schools, where a scholarship is a great prize in the lottery of life.

We talk about our civilization, our churches and our universal schools, but we think evidently most earnestly about war and its fadeless glories. The fact is war is barbarous-brutal in inception and unspeakably cruel in execution; it is the pollu- tion of life and steeps the very soul in filth. Physical bravery is not the highest possible order that man can reach. Man can hardly hope to regain the old Spartan standard of stoicism and indifference to pain and death. In fact the bravest army that ever went out to slay in the matter of simple courage has never equaled any ordinary cocking-main, or a prize dog fight. Only death-bravery can be. with the order of animal life incapable of reflection. Man alone may possess a moral courage sublime, and there is little else in life in the way of courage that counts for aught.

To a man of even tolerable intelligence the ridiculous attitude of the leading nations of the old world, that have simply made themselves vast military encamp- ments, each one under the horrid pretext that he is simply preparing himself to guard against the invasion of his neighbors, would be comical were it not all quite so serious to the poor, overburdened people. There men and women are encour- aged to breed children for powder food; educate all boys for the army, and when at the proper age, without any other ceremony, every young man is a soldier. Many of the young men to-day of Germany have come to this country and are good and industrious citizens who have fled from Fatherland to escape the military serv- ice; they have, however, left millions behind-all could not flee-and the great boast now among the nations of that kind is the number and efficiency of their respective armies. Their emperors, czars, kings, queens and princelings are the scabs of civil- ization-nothing more than night birds and bloodsucking vampires; a large con- tingent of them imbeciles and madmen-all scrofulous mentally and physically, and their great standing armies are eating up the unpaid-for substance of the people, and millions and millions are starving. Russia, the great military empire, is exploiting to-day the greatest famine among its people that the world has ever known. More than 20,000,000 are perishing of famine, and apparently but one man in all that great empire has strength of mind enough to realize the cause of this awful condition of the people. The anarchist with his fuse says it is all the cruel czar's fault and is ready to throw at him his bomb; the American minister to that country thinks it is the thoughtless improvidence of the people and the failure of crops, while Tolstoi tells the truth, namely-taxed to death. In 1848 the failure of the potato crop in Ireland and the famine and starvation following were universally esteemed as cause

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 21

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1532

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532