History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 6

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424

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I have, since the departure of Mr. Meyer, been constantly employed on the works laid out agreeably to his instructions, but which must necessarily proceed more slowly for want of stronger teams and wheelbarrows, as we have at present no other method of removing the dirt but by hand-barrows and the tedious way of casting it with shovels from man to man. What still increases the want of horses and car- riages is the necessity we lie under of conveying clay from other places for the construc-

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

tion of the parapet, what comes out of the ditch being improper for that purpose, as we find it a foot or two beneath the surface to grow sandy and not to be consolidated by any force or expedient in our power. The axes we have are, in general, extremely bad, and even the number of them insufficient. Tomahawks with square, flat eyes, nails of several sorts, and especially spades are very much wanted, the wagon master's presence extremely necessary, and rum for the men employed on the works .* -

In a letter evidently written several weeks later he says: "Two bushels of blue grass seed are necessary wherewith to sow the slopes of the para- pet and glacis and the banks of the river. In eight or ten days more the ditch will be carried quite round the parapet, the barrier gates finished and erected, and the pickets of the glacis completed."

Constant danger was apprehended from French and Indians. On the 30th of July, 1756, Fort Granville was taken and burned, and an attack upon Fort Augusta was deemed highly probable. The fleet of batteaux ascended and descended the river under a strong guard, the necessity for which is appar- ent from the following statements in Commissary Bard's letter of September 4th: "On the 23d past one of the soldiers was coming here from Harris's express, and fifteen miles from this fort was murdered and scalped. The party that went to escort Captain Lloyd found and buried him. And last Sunday morning one of our people who attended the cattle went to the spring, about half a mile from the fort, and while he was drinking was shot and afterwards scalped and tomahawked." This melancholy occurrence gave to the Bloody spring its sanguinary name. The boldness of the aggressors caused much alarm, which was greatly increased in the following month when Ogagradarisha, a friendly Iroquois chief, brought intelligence of the approach of a large force of French and Indians. Dispatches were at once transmitted to Colonel Clapham, who was then at Harris's Ferry, whence he im- mediately returned to Fort Augusta with the determination to defend it to the last extremity. The garrison was re-enforced and additional works were constructed, which so increased the strength of the post as to warrant offen- sive measures. Information having been received that the bands of Indians which harrassed the frontier rendezvoused at a town on the West Branch, fifty miles from the fort, Colonel Clapham dispatched a party composed of thirty-eight privates, two sergeants, and two corporals under command of Captain John Hambright with Montour as guide to attack and destroy it should he find it inhabited but leave no indications of his visit should he find it abandoned. His instructions, which were of the most specific character, were issued under date of November 4, 1756. The town, called Chingle- clamouse, was situated on the West Branch at the present site of Clearfield. "Captain Hambright entered the town, found the cabins all standing, but deserted by the Indians. Agreeably to his orders he did not touch anything nor destroy the town, in hopes the Indians would come to settle there again.

* Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. III. p, 41.

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

This was the only Indian town could be attacked."* No important results attended the expedition.

Much difficulty was experienced in obtaining adequate supplies of provis- ions and ammunition. . On the 14th of August, 1756, at a time when there was believed to be imminent danger of an attack, there were but four half- barrels of powder in store; and so fearful was Colonel Clapham that the let- ter containing this information would fall into the hands of the enemy that he put it in the pad of the courier's pack-saddle. On this occasion, having found it utterly impossible to continue the batteau service owing to the low stage of water, he urgently requested that a number of pack-horses should be engaged, which would render it possible to transport sufficient provisions from Tulpehocken to keep the garrison through the winter. On the 1st of September the stock of provisions was reduced to forty-six barrels of beef and pork, nine of flour, five of peas, and one bullock-scarcely sufficient for three days' rations; at this critical juncture Captain Lloyd arrived with thirty- three cattle and a quantity of supplies, probably the first received by pack- horses. In a letter to Governor Denny on the 23d of September Colonel Clapham stated that the supply of flour had twice been reduced to two bar- rels, and suggested the appointment of a purchasing agent.

In the following month he made a visit to Lancaster and Cumberland counties, returning on the afternoon of Sunday, October 17th, with "seventy horse-loads of flour and a quantity of salt, and thirty head of cattle." Upon the approach of winter it became necessary to revert to the batteau service again, and in November the Colonel wrote: "The repairs of the batteaux are now near finished; they will require one hundred thirteen men to work them, for which expense and the payment of arrears due on that service I have not in my hands one single shilling. The season advancing will not admit of the supplying this garrison by horses but for a short time, when the depth of the creeks, the badness of the roads, the coldness of the weather, and the length of the way will render that method impracticable."

Inadequate provision for the financial requirements of the expedition occasioned much dissatisfaction among its members. "Everybody seems dis- posed cheerfully to contribute their services toward the public good," says Colonel Clapham in a letter to Governor Morris on the 20th of June, 1756, "if there was ever any prospect or assurance of being paid for it." At that time there were twenty-six batteau-men in confinement for mutiny on account of the failure of the officers to pay them, and it was feared that oth- ers would desert if allowed to leave the camp. Nor was this discontent con- fined to the rank and file; the extremely parsimonious policy of the commis- sioners by whom the provincial appropriations were disbursed caused general dissatisfaction among the officers. The subalterns alleged that seven shill- ings six pence had been promised each lieutenant and five shillings six pence

* Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. III. pp. 41-43, 116.

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

to each ensign, while the former had received but five shillings six pence and the latter four shillings. A council was accordingly held at the camp at Shamokin on the 13th of July, 1756, at which all the officers of the regiment were present except Captain Miles, who was in command of the garrison at Fort Halifax; the reasons of the subalterns for expecting a larger rate of pay than they had received were recited in a memorial to the Governor, at the conclusion of which the officers joined in the following resignation :-

The gentlemen officers beg leave to appeal to his Honor, the Governor, as an evi- dence that that opinion universally prevailed thronghout the regiment, and, thinking themselves unjustly dealt with by the gentlemen commissioners, are unanimously determined not to serve longer on these terms; they therefore beg leave to return your Honor their most hearty and sincere thanks for the favors received, the grateful impres- sions of which they shall never forget, and at the same time request a permission from your Honor to resign on the 20th day of Angnst next, desiring to be relieved accordingly .*

This was transmitted to the Governor by Colonel Clapham, who improved the opportunity to air his own grievances and those of the other field officers. The following is an extract from his letter :-

I entered into this service at the solicitation of some of the gentlemen commis- sioners, in dependence on promises which they have never performed, and have acted ever since not only in two capacities but in twenty, having, besides the duties of my commissions as colonel and captain, been obliged to discharge those of an engineer and overseer at the same time, and undergone in the service incredible fatignes with- out materials and without thanks. But as I am to be paid only as a colonel I intend while I remain in this service only to fulfill the duties of that commission, which never was yet supposed to include building forts and ten thonsand other services which I have performed; so that the gentlemen commissioners have only to send engineers, pioneers, and other laborers, with the necessary teams and utensils, while I, as colonel, preside over the works, see that your Honor's orders are punctually executed, and only defend the persons engaged in the execution of them.

In pursuance of a resolution of your Honor and the gentlemen commissioners to . allow me an aid-de-camp, who was to be paid as a supernumerary captain in the regi- ment, I accordingly appointed Captain Lloyd as my aid-de-camp on April 2, 1756, who has ever since acted as such in the most fatiguing and disagreeable service on earth, and received only captain's pay.

Your Honor was pleased to appoint Lieutenant Clayton adjutant to the regiment under my command by a commission bearing date the 24th day of May, 1756, but the gentlemen commissioners have, in defiance of all known rules, resolved that au officer can discharge but one duty in a day, and have paid him only as a lientenant.

Impowered by your Honor's orders, and in compliance with the exigencies of the service, I hired a number of batteau-men at two shillings six pence per day, as will appear by the return made herewith to your Honor, and, upon demanding from the paymaster general money for the payment of the respective balances due to them, was surprised to find that the commissioners had by their instructions restrained him from paying any incidental charges whatever, as thinking them properly cognizable only b themselves.

'Tis extremely cruel, Sir, and unjust to the last degree, that men who cheerfully ventured their lives in the most dangerous and fatiguing services of their country, who

*Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. II. p. 701.

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

have numerous families dependent on their labor, and who have many of them while they were engaged in that service suffered more from the neglect of their farms and crops at home than the value of their whole pay-in short, whose affairs are ruined by the services done their country-should some of them receive no pay at all .*

The provincial commissary general, James Young, whose visit to Sha- mokin developed such general dissatisfaction among the officers and men, arrived at that place on the 12th of July and remained four days. He left on Friday, the 16th instant, in a batteau with four oars, arrived at Harris's Ferry before night, and on the following day proceeded to Carlisle, whence he transmitted an account of his transactions to the Governor. He had followed the instructions of the commissioners in paying the subalterns, who receipted for the amounts received but not for their full pay. He had been instructed to pay four hundred men, but found more than that number in the camp, beside the detachments at Fort Hunter and elsewhere. He was to pay the men to the 1st of July, deducting one half for clothing: against this they protested; the captains drew up a statement setting forth the manifest injustice of such an arrangement, and he was obliged to yield to their demands. He had no funds to meet Colonel Clapham's bill for one hundred sixteen batteau-men at two shillings six pence per day, but was credibly informed that the greater part of them were soldiers in the regiment and received pay as such. From this it would appear that the Colonel applied the same principle to them as to himself and his brother officers, viz., that a man should receive full pay in every capacity in which he served. He observed that the arbitrary disposition of the commanding officer had occasioned great dissatisfaction among the subordinate officers, all of whom except three or four had been placed in confinement by him and released at his pleasure without trial. t

The straitened condition of provincial finances continued. On the 23d of September, 1756, Colonel Clapham informed Governor Denny that there was four months' pay due the regiment, and, as many of the soldiers had families to support, he was obliged to loan the greater part of his own salary among them, otherwise he feared they would have deserted or returned to their homes at the expiration of their terms of enlistment.# At length, "tired with the discouragements perpetually given to the service by the commis- sioners and with their particular treatment of him," he resigned his com- mission and was succeeded in command of the Augusta regiment by Major James Burd, the officer next in rank.

Major Burd | arrived at Fort Augusta on Wednesday, December 8, 1756,

*Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. II. pp. 706-707.

+This statement does not harmonize with the Colonel's action on a subsequent occasion. On the 14th of August he wrote : "I have put Lieutenant Plunket under an arrest for mutiny, and only wait for the return of Captain Lloyd, the judge advocate, to have him tried by a general court martial."- Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. II. p. 745.

#Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. II. pp. 779-780.

I Major Burd kept a minute record of occurrences at Fort Augusta, and the facts relating to the

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

with Captains Shippen and Jamison and a supply train. He found Captain Hambright in command: Colonel Clapham had departed at ten A. M. on the previous Monday; Captains Lloyd and Salter, Lieutenants Clapham, Trump, and Miles, and Ensign Patterson were also absent. On the following day he "inquired into the state of the garrison," and found two hundred eighty men, with nine officers, for duty. No work had been done for some time; he found "the ditch unfinished; the pickets up; the beef cistern unfinished; the picket gates not done, and the beef all in the store in bulk; no place pro- vided for the flour, and the salt in casks ;-- in the heads standing on the parade; the batteaux all frozen up in the river." The remainder of the day was occupied in disposing of the supplies of flour and rum he had brought up, and in dispatching a party to the camp at McKee's for another consign- ment. On Friday, December 10th, he "employed a party to build a smoke- house for the beef; one to haul the batteaux out of the ice upon the bank to preserve them from being destroyed by the ice when the river should break up; one to clean out the fort, which was full of heaps of nuisances; one to throw all the stone out of the pickets; one to ram the earth about the beef cistern; one to build a bakehouse, and one to build a chimney in Captain Hambright's barrack; and one to make beds in the guard house." The completion and renovation of the works, thus early begun, was energetically continued.

Some idea of the routine pursued at Fort Augusta under Major Burd's administration may be gained from the following transcript of his journal for February 7-20, 1757 :--

7th, Monday. This day it snows a little in the morning. At work in the woods getting firewood, twenty-two; at the coal kiln, six; sawyers, two; making helves, one; getting stuff for helves, two; making wheelbarrows, two. Very cold, the ice driving but very little.

8th, Tuesday .- Employed this day as follows: twenty-two men cutting pickets, one man pointing ditto, six men at the coal, two sawyers, two making tomahawk helves, two making wheelbarrows, nine putting beef in the smokehouse, two working at the bakehouse. A clear, cold day.

9th, Wednesday .- Employed as yesterday. Sent seventeen men out to hunt up any straggling horses that might be yet in the provincial service, but could only find four, which I have sent down to be discharged the service. The two Indians, William Sack and Indian Peter, applied to me for an escort to conduct them safely to the Conestoga town. I accordingly sent Volunteer Hughes and two soldiers and four horses, with orders to conduct them safely home. They set out from this at five P. M. This evening it rains and blows prodigiously.

10th, Thursday .- Could not work to-day; it rained and blew prodigiously all last night and all this day. The saw-pit is full of water. The doctor made complaint this morning that there was a great deal of under-water in the hospital; the doctor told me that he thought he had bad success in his cures, which he imputed to the want of

period when he was in command have been mainly derived from this source. The journal is pub- lished in the Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series-December 8, 1756, to October 14, 1757, in Vol. II. pp. 745-820; February 8 to March 5, 1760, In Vol. VII. pp. 415-418; June 5 to December 31, 1763, in Vol. VII. pp. 433-455.

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

fresh provisions and vegetables; I acquainted the doctor that I had some thoughts of removing the hospital to Fort Halifax or Fort Hunter as soon as the weather would permit; he told me if that was not done many would lose their lives. The river in a fine state for batteauing.

11th, Friday .- Employed this day as follows: twenty-nine men in the woods cut- ting pickets, two carpenters pointing ditto, two carpenters making tomahawk helves, two carpenters making wheelbarrows, two carpenters working at the bakehouse, saw- yers emptying the water out of the saw-pit, the smiths at work and colliers. This day it blew very hard and froze most severely.

12th, Saturday .- Employed this day as yesterday. This day it freezes most intensely. The river is quite full of ice. Though the people are at work, yet they can't do much.

13th, Sunday .- This morning I ordered a general parade of all the regiment present at ten A. M. aud prayers at eleven A. M. if the weather would permit. Had the general parade accordingly, and found all the arms in good order, bright and quite clean. This day it freezes severely, and is so extremely cold that I omit prayers, the officers com- plaining it was too severe.

14th, Monday .- Employed this day as follows: twenty-one men in the woods cutting pickets, two pointing ditto, six colliers, two men at the wheelbarrows, two making ax handles, two making the pork cistern, four sawyers, three bakers. This day it freezes a little; more moderate than it has done for some days past; the river is quite full of ice, driving thick cakes.

15th, Tuesday .- This morning John Apelby, of Captain Salter's company, died; two men employed in making a coffin for ditto. Twenty-one men in the woods cutting pickets, one pointing ditto, six colliers, two making wheelbarrows, two making ax handles, two wagoners, four sawyers, two at the pork cistern, three bakers, four smiths. Buried John Apelby this evening. This day it snows a little; the river continues full of ice. Finished cutting pickets this evening; the adjutant reports they have cut upwards of a thousand.

16th, Wednesday .- This morning Christian Holtsaple, of Captain Salter's company, died. Seventeen men in the woods piling off pickets and cutting firewood, one man pointing pickets, six colliers, four smiths, four sawyers, three bakers, two carpenters making a coffin, two jointing plank for the pork cistern, two making wheelbarrows, two making ax handles, two wagoners, four digging a grave. At eleven A. M. two men arrived here with rum for Mr. Trapnell and informed me that the batteaux were lying weather-bound at Berry's place. At twelve M. D. Lieutenants Davis and Clapham arrived here with a party of thirteen men and brought my letters and confirmed the batteaux being at Berry's place under the command of Captain Trump. The above Christian Holtsaple was buried this evening. This day I was taken so ill that I could not read my letters; should have answered Colonel Clapham's letter and Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong's, but my indisposition would not permit. It thaws to-day much.

17th, Thursday .- This day it rained so hard all day that the soldiers could not work out of doors; the river clear of ice, and thaws much. The two men at work making wheelbarrows, one making ax handles, smiths and bakers at work.

18th, Friday .- Fine, clear weather. Employed to-day as follows: twenty-one work- ing in the woods cutting pickets, and cutting and piling brush, three bakers, six coll- iers, four sawyers, two making wheelbarrows, two pointing pickets, two jointing plank for the pork cistern, two making ax helves, two making paddles, two carters. This day at one P. M. Captain Trump arrived here with Ensigns Brodhead and Scott and the party, and batteaux with fifty-one barrels flour, three hogsheads of rum, one faggot steel, twelve barrels pork. At two P. M. it began to rain to-day. We have great difficulty in getting the batteaux unloaded. Sent Sergeant Lee to Carlisle express.

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

19th, Saturday .- It rained all day to-day. No work done except emptying the batteaux of the remainder of their loading, which is now all in the store. Returned to the full allowance of provision, one pound two ounces of beef and one and one half pounds of flour.

20th, Sunday .- Had a general review of all the regiment; appointed the party to wait Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong's orders. The fort was so wet we could not have sermon nor prayers to-day.

The summer routine was slightly different. The following is a tran- script of the journal from the 17th to the 31st of July, 1757 :-

17th, Sunday .- Had the general review and church twice, at which the Indians attended. I had all the Indians to dinner with me to-day, which gave great satisfac- tion.

18th, Monday .- Employed fifty-eight parapet, twenty-seven with the wagon, four- teen cattle guard, ten carpenters, thirteen mauling rails for a hog pen, four sawyers, four smiths, two gardeners, two bakers, one chandler. This day at one P. M. the Indians set off quite pleased, and said they would return in twenty days with all the chiefs of their nations.

19th, Tuesday .- Employed sixty-three parapet, twenty-six with the wagon, seven- teeu cattle guard, eleven carpenters, four smiths, four sawyers, two gardeners, two bakers, one chandler. Nothing material.

20th, Wednesday .- Employed sixty-five at the parapet, twenty-seven with wagon, fifteen/ cattle guard, eleven carpenters, four smiths, four sawyers, two bakers, two gardeners, two pin makers, one chandler. This day at three P. M. Captain Shippen arrived here with the fleet of batteaux and twenty-seven recruits.

21st, Thursday .- Employed fifty-three at the parapet, twenty-six with the wagon, fourteen cattle guard, ten carpenters, four sawyers, four smiths, two bakers, two gar- deners, one chandler, two pin makers. Nothing material.

22d, Friday .- Employed seventy-two at the parapet, twenty-seven with the wagon, fourteen cattle guard, ten carpenters, four sawyers, four smiths, two bakers, two gar- deners, two masons, two pin makers, one chandler.

23d, Saturday .- Employed seventy-two at the parapet, twenty-six with the wagon, fourteen cattle guard, ten carpenters, four sawyers, four smiths, two bakers, two gar- deners, one chandler, two pin makers. Ordered a general review to-morrow at four P. M.

24th, Sunday .- This morning I sent out a reconnoitering party, one hundred men, with the following officers: Captains Hambright and Trump, Lieutenant Garraway, Ensigns Brodhead and Allison. Had a general review to-day at four P. M. The reconnoitering party returned at nine P. M. and reported no signs of the enemy.

25th, Monday .- Employed sixty-two at the parapet, twenty-seven with the wagon, fourteen cattle guard, four sawyers, four smiths, two gardeners, two pin makers, one chandler, eight sodders. Ordered the batteaux to be ready to sail to-morrow; I could not empty the flour sooner, having no place to put it in. Captain Patterson and Ensign Miles go with the batteaux and a party of twenty-five soldiers; Lieutenant Garraway, Ensigns Scott and Allison go recruiting. Ordered Lieutenant Atlee on the recruiting service from Fort Halifax, and Lieutenant Miles to take post there.

26th, Tuesday .- Employed fifty-four at the bank, twenty-six with the wagon, four- teen cattle guard, eight sodders of the bank, four sawyers, ten carpenters, four smiths, two gardeners, two bakers, two masons, two chandlers. This day at M. D. the fleet of batteaux sailed with the officers, Captain Patterson, Lieutenant Garraway, Ensigns Scott, Miles, and Allison, with a party of twenty-five men.

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 6

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424