History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 4

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 900

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 4
USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 4
USA > Pennsylvania > Wyoming County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 4

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).

OUTLINE HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

application of this right, however, the East India Com- pany was encouraged by parliament to send a consign- ment of tea to each of the principal ports in the colonies, to be disposed of by the agents appointed by the com- pany, and thus to force it on the people. The colonists in all the provinces were indignant at this insidious at- tempt.

"The course of Pennsylvania was from the first firm, but temperate. A meeting at Philadelphia passed resolutions denouncing the duty on tea as a tax without their con- sent, laid for the express purpose of establishing the right to tax; and asserting that this method of provid- ing a revenue for the support of government, the admin- istration of justice and defense of the colonies, had a direct tendency to render assemblies useless and to in- troduce arbitrary government and slavery; and that steady opposition to this plan was necessary to preserve even the shadow of liberty. They denounced all who should aid in landing or selling the tea as enemies to their country, and enjoined the consignees to resign their ap- pointment." Under such a pressure the consignees de- clined to receive it. In Charleston it was landed in a damp warehouse and permitted to rot. At New York a vigilance committee forbade the pilots to bring the vessel having the tea on board into the harbor, and escorted a captain who attempted to bring in some as a private ven- ture out of the harbor, after airing and watering his tea. At Boston the vessel having the tea on board was boarded by a party of men disguised as Indians, and the tea thrown overboard. In consequence of these proceedings meas- ures were adopted by the British government to coerce submission on the part of the colonists. Upon Massa- chusetts, which had manifested the most violent opposi- tion, the vials of British wrath were most freely poured out. In 1774 the act known as the Boston port bill, by which the port of Boston was closed and the custom- house removed to Salem, was passed. This was soon followed by an act vesting the appointment of colonial officers in the crown; by another, authorizing the extra- dition for trial of persons charged with capital offences; and by still another, for quartering soldiers on the inhab- itants. All the colonies sympathized and made common cause with Boston and Massachusetts, though in each colony there were some people who sympathized with the crown. These were termed tories, while the advocates of colonial rights were called whigs-names by which the two parties were known through the Revolution.

The province of Pennsylvania did not waver at this juncture in its adhesion to the colonial cause. On being requested to convene the Assembly Governor Penn of course declined, and a meeting consisting of about eight thousand people was held, at which a general colonial congress was recommended and a committee of corres- pondence appointed. Subsequently a convention of del- egates from all the counties in the province assembled, at which a series of temperate but firm and patriotic resolu- tions were adopted, asserting both their loyalty and their rights, and reiterating the recommendation for a general congress. The convention also adopted instructions to

the Assembly that was about to convene. These were written by John Dickinson, one of the foremost patriots in the province. The following extracts are quoted to show the animus of these patriots:

" Honor, justice and humanity call upon us to hold and transmit to our posterity that liberty which we re- ceived from our ancestors. It is not our duty to leave wealth to our children, but it is our duty to leave liberty to them. No infamy, iniquity or cruelty can exceed our own if we, born and educated in a country of freedom, entitled to its blessings and knowing their value, pusillan- imously deserting the post assigned us by Divine Provi- dence, surrender succeeding generations to a condition of wretchedness from which no human efforts, in all probability, will be sufficient to extricate them; the expe- rience of all States mournfully demonstrating to us that when arbitrary power has been established over them even the wisest and bravest nations that have ever flour- ished have in a few years degenerated into abject and wretched vassals. * *

* To us, therefore, it appears at this alarming period our duty to our God, our country, to ourselves and to our posterity, to exert our utmost ability in promoting and establishing harmony between Great Britain and these colonies, on a constitutional foundation." "Thus," says Sherman Day, "with loyalty on their lips, but with the spirit of resistance in their hearts, did these patriots push forward the Revo- lution.'

The Assembly appointed delegates to the Congress, which met in September at Philadelphia. This Congress adopted resolutions approving of the resistance of the people of Massachusetts, and took measures to prohibit imports from or exports to Great Britain, unless griev- ances were redressed. It also adopted a declaration of rights and enumeration of grievances, an address to the people of Great Britain, another to the people of British America and a loyal address to the crown. It also adopted articles of confederation, which act may rightly be con- sidered the beginning of the American Union.

A bill was adopted by parliament prohibiting the people of the provinces from fishing on the banks of Newfound- land, and at about the same time an ingeniously framed act, which made apparent concessions, but retained the doctrine against which the colonies contended, and which was intended to divide them .. Pennsylvania was the first colony to which this proposition was presented, and the Assembly, to whom it was presented by Governor Penn, promptly rejected it; declaring that they desired no ben- efits for themselves the acceptance of which might injure the common cause, "and which by a generous rejection for the present might be finally secured for all."

. Another provincial convention was held in Philadelphia in January, 1775, at which resolutions were adopted rec- ommending the strict enforcement of the non-importation pledge, and the production and manufacture of every thing required for the use of the inhabitants; enumerating many of the articles to be produced or manufactured, in- cluding gunpowder, which was said to be necessary for the Indian trade.

END OF THE PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT-EARLY REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS.

CHAPTER V.

REVOLUTION IN THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT-PENN- SYLVANIA A STATE-BATTLES OF 1776 AND 1777- INDIAN WARFARE.

N 1775 hostilities commenced. The battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill were fought, and a British army invaded the country. Con- gress met and organized an army, at the head of which General Washington was placed. At the same time that it thus provided for the pub- lic defense, it adopted a " humble and dutiful pcti- tion to the King," which was presented but to which they were informed no answer would be given. A military association, having branches in each county, was formed, with a full code of rules for its government. The As- sembly met and made provision for raising four thousand three hundred troops-the quota of the province. In view of the troublesome position which the Quakers oc- cupied, the Assembly enacted that all able-bodied men who refused to bear arms (ministers and purchased ser- vants excepted) should contribute an equivalent for the time and expense of others in acquiring the necessary discipline.

A committee of safety was appointed which assumed executive functions. A provincial navy was equipped, and measures were taken to protect Philadelphia against any naval force ascending the Delaware river. Later a continental navy was established.

The Continental Congress during its session of May, 1775, recommended to those colonies where no govern- ment sufficient to meet the exigencies of the times ex- isted, to adopt such governments. It was determined by the whigs, in pursuance of this rcsolution, to throw off the proprietary government, by which they were ham- pered. The conservatives and tories opposed this, but the times were revolutionary and the whigs prevailed. It was resolved that the new government should emanate from the people, and that the Assembly, the members of which were shackled by their oaths of allegiance to the crown, should have no voice in its formation. A convention consisting of delegates from all the counties, for the formation of a new constitution, was called, through the committee of conference and observation of Philadelphia. In the choice of delegates to this convention no one was permitted to vote who refused to abjure all allegiance to the King of Great Britain, or who was suspected of being an cnemy to American liberty.

The Declaration of Independence was adopted July 4th, 1776, and this convention assembled on the 15th of tle same month. It not only entered on the task of formning a constitution, but assumcd legislative powers and appointed delegates to Congress. It may here be re- marked that such of these delegates as had not already

done so affixed their signatures to the Declaration of In- dependence.

The work of the convention was completed on the 28th of September, and the new-formed constitution committed to the keeping of the council of safety until the first meeting of the General Assembly of the State. The provincial Assembly met on the 23d of the same month, and quietly expired, with a feeble denunciation on its lips of the as- sumed legislative power of the convention. Thus, at about the same time, the proprietary government in Pennsylvania ccased by the action of the people in the province, and the colonies cast off their allegiance to the crown of Great Britain.

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The population of Pennsylvania was about 300,000 at the time when it became a State and assumed its position among its sister States in the American Union. The Declaration of Independence had been made, but that independence was to be maintained ; and, as subse- quently proved, by the sacrifice of many lives and the expenditure of much treasure.

The limits of this sketch will not permit a detail of Revolutionary events that occurred beyond the boundaries of the State, though many of those events were im- portant factors in the history of the State at that time, and of the cvents of which Pennsylvania was the theatre little more than a brief mention can be made.

December, 1776, found General Washington on the west bank of the Delaware near Trenton. He had crossed New Jersey before the advancing army of Gen- eral Howe, who was posted on the opposite side of the river, waiting for the formation of ice on which to cross, that he might move on Philadelphia. General Washing- ton had secured all the boats on the river, and on the night of the 25th of December he recrossed the river with 2,400 men and twenty pieces of artillery, attacked the Hessians in Trenton and defeated them, capturing six cannon and 900 prisoners, with whom he again crossed into Pennsylvania. The loss of the Americans in this. action was two soldiers killed and two who perished by cold. General Washington at once returned to Trenton, where he was joined by about 3,600 Pennsylvania militia under Generals Mifflin and Cadwallader. The battle of Princeton was fought soon afterward, and the army went into winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. The next summer, after some manœuvring in New Jersey, eviden. ly for the purpose of drawing General Washington from his position, General Howc embarked his forces at New York, intending to attack Philadelphia by way of the Delaware river. After entering Delaware bay he re- turned to the occan, sailed up the Chesapeake bay and landed ncar the head of Elk river. On the sailing of the British army from New York General Washington moved his army into Pennsylvania, and cncamped near German- town to watch the development of General Howc's plans. General La Fayette joined General Washington at that time, and shared with him the hardships and privations of the camp.

The army of General Howc advanced toward Phila- delphia and was met by that of General Washington at

OUTLINE HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

the Brandywine, where a battle was fought the 11th of September, and the American forces suffered a defeat and retired to Germantown. Washington soon afterward crossed the Schuylkill and prepared for battle again, but a heavy rain storm prevented the action. General Howe entered Philadelphia with a portion of his army, and the balance encamped at Germantown. Upon this force Washington made an unsuccessful attack while a portion of it was assisting the British shipping to effect a passage through the Delaware river. This was early in October. On the 22nd of the same month an attack was made on Forts Mifflin and Mercer, which commanded the Dela- ware opposite the mouth of the Schuylkill. After an obstinate resistance the garrison of these forts was com- pelled to evacuate them. In this affair the enemy lost two ships by reason of the effective service of the Penn- sylvania State fleet. After the surrender of General Bur- goyne at Saratoga the army of Washington was reinforced by that of General Gates, and it encamped in a strong position at Whitemarsh. From this position the British commander endeavored to draw General Washington, but without success. The American army finally went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, a place which will ever be noted as the scene of the most intense suffering which the Revolutionary patriots were called on to en- dure during their struggle for independence. While they were shivering barefooted and half naked in their huts at this place, the British soldiers were snugly quartered and well fed and their officers feted and feasted by the tories in Philadelphia.

In the spring of 1778 an attempt was made by the Eng- lish government through commissioners to effect a recon- ciliation. Whether or not an honorable reconciliation was desired may be judged by the fact that they offered Joseph Reed, one of the delegates in Congress from Pennsylvania, £10,000 and the best office in the colonies to aid them in their purposes. His reply should be re- membered :- " I am not worth purchasing, but such as I am the King of Great Britain is not rich enough to do it."

It was in the spring of 1778 that France entered into a treaty with the Americans, and sent four frigates and twelve ships to the Delaware. In consequence of this Sir Henry Clinton, who had succeeded Lord Howe in command of the British army, decided to evacuate Phil- adelphia, which he did, marching his forces across New Jersey toward New York. Washington pursued, and engaged the enemy at Monmouth and compelled them to give way. Philadelphia again became the capital in the latter part of June, 1778. Some trials were had for high treason, and several of those convicted were executed, greatly to the alarm of the tories and Quakers. They had been emboldened by the temporary success of the British arms, and these examples seemed necessary to inspire them with terror and prevent future treasonable acts, as well as to appease the vengeance of the whigs who had suffered at their hands.

By the evacuation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ceased to be the theatre of important warlike events. The Eng. lish government had, however, induced the Indians of the Iroquois nations in New York and those of the terri- tory west from Pennsylvania to engage in hostilities against the people of the struggling States. This warfare was waged in accordance with their "known rule." In- cursions were made, defenseless settlements attacked, and people " of every age, sex and condition " were ruth- lessly murdered. The settlements in many regions were left unprotected, because nearly all the men capable of bearing arms had responded to their country's call and joined the Revolutionary army. In 1777 the northern frontier of New York was the scene of many of these sav- age irruptions, and the frontier settlements of these S+tes were scarcely troubled by marauding parties. They doubtless enjoyed this immunity because of the proxim- ity of troops, which could be quickly sent to protect these settlements. In 1778 the storm of Indian warfare burst on them. A descent was made on the Wyoming valley by a force of British, tories and Indians, conimanded by Colonel John Butler. Many of the inhabitants were cruelly massacred and the valley was devastated. A de- scent was also made on the west branch of the Susque- hanna by a force of Indians, tories and British, under Col- onel MacDonald. The frontier settlements in Westmore- land county also were ravaged by scalping parties. A force under General McIntosh was sent to protect the western frontier, which was done by the erection of forts and by expeditions into the country of the hostile savages.

The Indian villages at Wyalusing, Shesequin and Tioga were destroyed by a small force under Colonel Hartley. In order to punish the most audacious of these savages, and prevent, if possible, future depreda- tions by them, General Sullivan was sent with a sufficient force in the summer of 1779 up the Susquehanna into the Genesee valley, the heart of the country of the Senecas-the most powerful and warlike nation of the Iroquois-with orders "to cut off their settlements, de- stroy their crops, and inflict on them every other mischief that time and circumstances would permit." This work was thoroughly accomplished. A battle was fought on the Chemung river at Newtown (Elmira), in which the Indians, under the celebrated Mohawk chief Brant, and the tories, under Colonel John Butler, were routed. The valley of the Genesee was devastated, forty towns were burned, orchards were cut down, corn fields were ravaged, and one hundred and sixty thousand bushels of corn de- stroyed. From this blow the warlike Senecas never re- covered. Though marauding parties continued to go forth, they were not afterward able to send out any large force.

Colonel Brodhead, at about the sanie time, went on an expedition against the Indians on the west branch of the Allegheny and destroyed the crops and villages there, and cut off a party of forty who had started on an ex- pedition to the frontier of Westmoreland county.

LATER REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS-TRANSACTIONS WITH THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER VI.

LATER EVENTS OF THE REVOLUTION-WAR WITH THE WESTERN INDIANS-CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES.

DURING the year 1780 much difficulty was ex- perienced on account of the depreciation of the paper currency, which the exigencies of the war had made it necessary to issue. Ef- forts were made by the Assembly to relieve the State from this embarrassment, with only partial success. In 1781, in accordance with a plan of Robert Morris, who justly earned the title of "the financier of the Revolution," the Bank of North America was chartered by Congress, and charters were also granted to it by Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The effect of this measure was immediately beneficial to the com- mercial and financial interests of the country. The Pennsylvania charter was revoked by the Legislature in 1785, but was restored in 1787.

During 1780 the Legislature enacted a law reorganizing the militia system of the State, in order that any sudden emergency might be promptly met. In view of the exi- gencies of the times authority was vested in the execu- tive to declare martial law during the recess of the As- sembly, so far as should be necessary under circumstances that might arise. It was resolved, also, that in extraor- dinary efforts that were found necessary to obtain sup- plies, discrimination might be made between the friends of the country and those who had shown themselves to be otherwise. To guard against spies, authority was given to arrest all suspicious persons and prevent the ad- mission of strangers indiscriminately. The horses and other property of domestic enemies were seized, and the houses of Quakers were searched for arms.

The entrance into New Jersey of the British army . under Sir Henry Clinton was the cause of great alarm, but this army did not advance on Philadelphia. . Soon afterward four thousand of the militia were ordered out to assist in a projected attack on New York, but by rea- son of the non-arrival of the French troops the project was abandoned, and the militia force, which had its ren- dezvous at Trenton, was disbanded.

The treason of Benedict Arnold occurred in the autumn of 1780. While in command at Philadelphia in 1778 General Arnold became allied by marriage with a distinguished tory family in that city, and the intimacy with British officers into which this relation threw him, together with the sting which his sensitive nature received by being court-martialed for some irregularity, may have led him to his fatal error. Soon after the receipt of the news of his treason in Philadelphia, his effigy was paraded through the streets and hanged, his wife was ordered to leave the city within fourteen days, and his estate was confiscated. Still more rigorous proceedings were insti- tuted against the tories and Quakers, one of whom was convicted of high treason and hanged.

In January, 1781, a revolt occurred among the Penn- sylvania troops, who were in winter quarters at Morris- town, under command of General Wayne. About thir- teen hundred of the disaffected left the camp and estab- lished their quarters at Princeton. The causes of this mutiny were depreciation of the currency in which the men were paid, arrearages of pay and suffering for want of money and clothing, and the retention in the service of some beyond the terms of their enlistment. There was nothing treasonable in their revolt. On the contrary, two emissaries who were sent to them with large offers from the commander of the British forces were seized, delivered to General Wayne, tried as spies, convicted and executed. An investigation was instituted by General Wayne and President Reed, their grievances were re- dressed, and they returned to their duty.

In the spring of 1781 the Pennsylvania troops under General Wayne joined the force of La Fayette, and marched to join the force of General Greene. Fearing an attack upon Philadelphia by the troops from New York, Congress recommended the calling out of three thousand militia. They were ordered to rendezvous at Newtown, in Bucks county, where they remained till the departure of the British troops from New York for the relief of Cornwallis allayed all fear for the safety of Philadelphia, when they were disbanded.

In October, 1781, the army of Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, thus virtually ending the war of the Revo- lution. Pending the negotiation of a treaty of peace, which was signed November 30th, 1781, the Assembly of Pennsylvania unanimously adopted a resolution disap- proving of a reunion with Great Britain on any terms; against the conclusion of a treaty of peace with England without the concurrence of France, and against the re- vival of the proprietary family privileges. Such had been the bitter experience of the people of Pennsylvania under the proprietary government and the British yoke that they were determined to guard against everything that could lead to a recurrence of that experience.

Although the chartered boundaries of Pennsylvania were settled before the termination of the Revolutionary war, the Indian title to all the territory within those limits had not been extinguished. . Purchases from the Indians had been made in 1736 and previously, in 1749, in 1758 and in 1768. These amounted to about two- thirds of the chartered territory. The balance, lying in the northwest part of the State, was purchased from the Iroquois at the treaty of Fort Stanwix in October, 1784, and the purchase was confirmed by the Delawares and Wyandots at Fort McIntosh in January, 1785. Not- withstanding this purchase the Delawares and Wyandots kept up a barbarous warfare against the settlers, and in addition to the expeditions that had been sent against them, among which was that of the ill fated Crawford in 1782, Harmar in 1791 and Wayne from 1792 to 1795 conducted campaigns against them. The last in August, 1795, concluded a treaty with them which terminated hostilities. "Besides these expeditions," says Sherman Day, " there was an undercurrent of partisan hostilities

OUTLINE HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

constantly maintained between the white savages on the frontier and the red, in which it was difficult to say on which side was exhibited the greatest atrocity."

It has been said that a State constitution was adopted in 1776 to supersede the proprietary government. Under this constitution an assembly elected annually was the legislative department; a council of twelve persons was chosen .or three years and by joint ballot of the assem- bly and council a president was elected, which consti- tuted the executive department. It also provided for the choice septennially of a council of censors to revise the doings of the Legislature and the executive, pass cen- sures, recommend repeals, etc. This constitution was defective, though an improvement on the proprietary government.

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History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 4

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York Publication date: 1880 Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co. Number of Pages: 900

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 900