History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 8

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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The journal kept at Fort Augusta from June 5 to December 31, 1763, is not prolific in details. The arrival and departure of the batteaux and supply trains and their convoys are regularly noted; cattle and sheep were brought in herds, as formerly, and slaughtered upon the approach of winter, when the meat was cured and stored. These and other matters relating to the commissary department, the defensive operations and offensive movements noted, the holding of courts martial, intelligence brought by Indians, and the state of the weather, mainly constitute the subject matter of the journal. It was evidently begun by Lieutenant Hunter; after Colonel Burd's arrival the entry for each day was signed by the officer of the guard, in which capacity the names of Lieutenants Graydon, Hunter, Wiggins, Blyth, and Hendricks, Mr. Irvine, and Colonel Burd appear. The Colonel arrived on the 18th of June and remained until the 20th of August; he again arrived on the 9th of November and remained several weeks. On the 23d of February, 1764, he wrote Governor Penn that he had "sent out sundry parties [from Fort Augusta] to endeavor to discover and come up with the enemy to pre- vent their falling down upon the inhabitants, and, in case they should have

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

gone past, to lay an ambush for them on their return," but without making any discoveries at all. Lieutenant Graydon was in command in November and December, 1764, and May, 1765.

At this point it may be proper to summarize the numerical strength of the garrison at the various dates to which authentic information relates. James Young, the commissary general, visited Shamokin in July, 1756, with instructions to pay three hundred eighty-four privates and sixteen sergeants, but found more than that number in the camp, beside the detachments at McKee's and Fort Hunter. "The garrison consists of three hundred twenty effective men," wrote Colonel Clapham on the 14th of October, 1756. On the 18th he informed the Governor that Captain Christian Busse arrived at the fort on the evening of that day with his company, which formed part of Lieutenant Colonel Conrad Weiser's battalion. He also transmitted a return of the regiment on the 18th of October; it shows seven companies, of which the respective strength was as follows: colonel's, forty-three; major's, forty-four; Captain Lloyd's, thirty-nine; Captain Shippen's, forty-four; Cap- tain Work's, forty-three; Captain Hambright's, forty-nine; Captain Salter's, forty-four-total, three hundred six, of whom one hundred sixty-four were "duty men." There were fourteen sergeants, fourteen corporals, and seven drummers; two bakers, three blacksmiths, one herdsman, fourteen cooks, thirty-seven carpenters, six masons, five sawyers, six coal burners, two clerks, two butchers, and four brickmakers; four were on furlough, four on provost duty, fourteen sick and lame, and three attending the sick; six deserters were reported. Captain Busse's company was not included in this report; it was probably not regarded as part of the regular garrison, and on the 8th of November was ordered to return to its former station. When Major Burd arrived (December 8, 1756,) there were two hundred eighty men "doing duty" and nine officers "for duty." The terms for which many of the men had enlisted expired in the following spring, and three companies of Lieutenant Col- onel Weiser's battalion-those of Captains Patterson, Wetterholt, and Morgan -were ordered to Fort Augusta to take their places. Captain James Patterson arrived with his company on the 2d of April, 1757, and on the 6th more than a hundred men whose terms had expired took their departure. Captain John Nicholas Wetterholt and Lieutenant James Handshaw arrived on the 27th of April with fifty men, and Captain Jacob Morgan and Lieutenant Andrew Engel on the 4th of May with thirty men. "A great many dis- charged men " left the fort on the 10th of May and others on the 15th. Their former officers thereupon engaged in recruiting, and in the course of a few months the companies that originally composed the garrison were strength- ened sufficiently to permit the withdrawal of the re-enforcement from Weiser's battalion.

On the 1st of January, 1758, Captain Shippen reported eight companies, accredited, respectively, to Major James Burd and Captains Thomas Lloyd,

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Joseph Shippen, Patrick Work, David Jamison, John Hambright, and Levi Trump, and Lieutenant Patrick Davis. The total number of men was three hundred thirty-seven, of whom two hundred thirty-two were fit for duty. Adjutant Kern's return of February 5, 1758, states that there were twenty- five companies in the provincial service at that time, eight of which were stationed at Fort Augusta, from which the relative importance of that post may be inferred. These eight companies, according to Commissary Young's report of February 9th, numbered three hundred sixty-two men. The "Return of the garrison at Fort Augusta, consisting of detachments from the First and Second battalions of the Pennsylvania regiment, Major Thomas Lloyd, commandant," April 1, 1758, shows a total of three hundred forty- eight men, two hundred five of whom were fit for duty; there were eight companies, accredited, respectively, to Lieutenant Colonel James Burd, Major Thomas Lloyd, and Captains Joseph Shippen, Patrick Work, David Jami- son, John Hambright, Levi Trump, and Asher Clayton. Shortly afterward nearly the entire effective force was detached for service in Forbes's expedi- tion against Fort Duquesne, and on the 2d of June but four men of Colonel Burd's company, fourteen of Major Lloyd's, thirteen of Major Shippen's, fifteen of Captain Work's, eighteen of Captain Jamison's, four of Captain Hambright's, forty of Captain Trump's, and thirteen of Captain Clayton's remained-a total of one hundred twenty-one, of whom ninety-nine were fit for duty. Captain Trump, the commandant at that time, wrote Governor Denny on the 1st of July that "Captain Robert Eastburn and Captain [Paul] Jackson arrived here on the 20th ultimo, with part of their companies. Thirty of their men, according to orders, they left at Hunter's fort, under the command of Ensign Price." In his report for July 1st he gives the total number of men as one hundred eighty-nine, of whom one hundred sixty were fit for duty. Peter Bard, the local commissary, accompanied the detachments of Captains Eastburn and Jackson, and in a letter to the Governor on the 1st of July says: "What were here before we came, one hundred twenty odd, are the cullings of the whole battalion, and several of them sick and lame, so that we have but a very weak garrison." The state of affairs on the 19th of July was thus described by Captain Trump :-

Captain Montgomery arrived here on the 16th instant with three subalterns and sixty-two private men, who were drafts out of several companies of the newly raised levies. General Forbes has ordered Captain Robert Eastburn and Captain Paul Jack- son and their subalterns with thirty-five of each company (which is more than they have here) to march and join him at Raystown; likewise ordered me to draft forty of the best men belonging to Colonel Burd's battalion aud send them to him with two officers, viz .: Lieutenant Brodhead and Ensign Haller. There is but one officer left here beside myself of Colonel Burd's battalion, which is Ensign Henry; I have no ensign; the above drafts march from this place this day. There is only one hundred forty-three men left here, out of which number there's ten whose times are expired and will not enlist again, beside two men more that Major Lloyd has sent discharges for; and a great part of them that are left are blind, lame, sick, old, and decrepit, not fit to be intrusted with any charge.

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

On the 1st of August and 1st of September, 1758, Captain Trump reported one hundred sixty-nine men, accredited to fifteen different com- panies, ranging in numerical strength from one to thirty; one hundred forty- one were fit for duty on the 1st of August and one hundred twenty-two on the 1st of September. When Colonel Burd, accompanied by Ensign Morgan and two companies, arrived on the 15th of February, 1760, the garrison numbered thirty-six men, who "marched off " four days later. Two com- panies, accredited to Colonel Burd and Captain Caleb Graydon, respectively, constituted the garrison on the 1st of October, 1763; the total number of men was eighty-eight, of whom sixty were fit for duty. On the 20th of July, 1764, the "Board of Commissioners for Defense" decided to maintain four companies between the Susquehanna and Delaware, "including thirty men to garrison Fort Augusta," who were to be "victualled by the crown." In the return of the muster of the First battalion at Lancaster, July 23-25, 1764, forty-seven men are accredited to Captain Hunter's company and sixteen as a "detachment of Captain Graydon's;" they were detailed for service on Bouquet's expedition, leaving Captain Graydon in command of the thirty who remained in garrison at Fort Augusta. Some difficulty was experienced in providing funds for their pay, as evidenced by the following message from the Governor to the Assembly :-

GENTLEMEN: From the great importance of Fort Augusta to the protection of this Province when engaged in a war with the Indians, I thought it absolutely necessary to keep a garrison in it the last year, and am of opinion that, till the final conclu- sion of a peace with the savages, it will be highly imprudent to abandon that post. The garrison has been paid up to the 1st of January last year out of the supplies granted to his Majesty last year, but as that fund is nearly exhausted, I recommend it to you to consider and provide ways and means for the future subsistence and support of the troops stationed there till it may be thought advisable either to reduce or disband them. JOHN PENN .*

February 9, 1765.

The reply of the Assembly was as follows :-

After due consideration of your message dated the 9th instant we are of opinion that, as the cannon and other military stores at Fort Augusta can not be at present removed from thence, it may be prudent to defer any resolution concerning the evacu- ation of that post until further certainty of peace being firmly established with the Indians; yet, in the meantime, as the fund from which that garrison has been paid up to the 1st of last month is nearly exhausted, we should approve an immediate reduc- tion of the troops stationed there; although, in respect to disbanding the whole garrison we can only recommend to your Honor and the provincial commissioners, when more satisfied of the Indians' fidelity and conveniency offers for water carriage from Sha- mokin, to lose no time in removing the cannon and stores above mentioned and disbanding the remainder of the garrison, in order to ease the public of that burthen whenever it can be done with safety and prudence.t

Colonel Bouquet's expedition to the Muskingum in the autumn of 1764 had been entirely successful; the Indians sued for peace, and gave hostages

* Colonial Records, Vol. IX. pp. 244-245.

+ Colonial Records, Vol. IX. p. 246.

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

as security for the release of all their prisoners when a general treaty should be ratified. As soon as Governor Penn received intelligence that they had. fulfilled their promises to Colonel Bouquet in this and other respects he "gave orders that Fort Augusta should be evacuated and commissioned Col- onel Francis to settle the accounts of that garrison." It does not appear that his orders were immediately carried into execution, however; the follow- ing is the transcript of a letter, hitherto unpublished and now in the posses- sion of William T. Grant, of Sunbury, which affords some information regard- ing the subsequent military occupation of this post :-

Philadelphia, April 21, 1768.

SIR: Although Fort Augusta, which you were heretofore ordered to keep posses- sion of, may be within the words of an act of Assembly lately made for removing set- tlers from the lauds unpurchased of the Indians, yet I am persuaded it was not within the design of the law. You will, therefore, with the people that were left there with you, continue to keep possession of it as before the passing [of] the act. But I desire you will take special care that no new settlements are made there or in the neighborhood of it beyond the line of the purchase, for any such new settlements will be within the intent of the act, and those who presume to settle in disobedience of it may depend upon being prosecuted in the most vigorous manner. I am, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant, JOHN PENN.

Captain Samuel Hunter.

From this it appears that a nominal garrison was sustained at Fort Augus- ta in 1768, with Captain Hunter as commandant, and that he was also intrusted with the duty of administering the law against intruders upon lands to which the Indian title had not yet been extinguished.

The amount of stores, ammunition, and ordnance at the fort were fre- quently reported .* Six four-pound cannon, two swivels, and six blunder- busses constituted the armament on the 6th of October, 1756. On the 3d of November the commanding officer at Fort Hunter was ordered "to weigh the two cannon which now lie in the water and place them on the bank at some convenient place for transportation;" and on the 19th of May, 1757, Major Burd made the following entry in his journal: "This day at eleven A. M. Captain Patterson arrived here with the batteaux and brought two four-

pound cannon." Eight cannon, two swivels, and seven blunderbusses were reported by Captain Shippen on the 1st of March, 1758, and by Captain Trump on the 1st of June in the same year. On the 19th of July, 1758, Captain Trump wrote Governor Denny that " The four pieces of cannon are come up that were sent from Philadelphia, but there's not a person to make carriages for them, so they'll be useless till such time as there's a fit person sent here to make them." Twelve canuon, two swivels, and seven blunder-

* These reports were usually made by the commissary or commandant; the following are pub- lished in the Pennsylvania Archives: September 4, 1756, Vol. II. p. 765; October 6, 1756, Vol. III. pp. 4- 5; December 3, 1756, Vol. III. p. 79; March 1, 1758, Vol. III. pp. 347-348; June 1, 1758, Vol. III. pp. 406- 407; August 1, 1758, Vol. III. p. 502; October 1, 1758, Vol. III. pp. 550-551; December 1, 1758, Vol. III. pp. 568-569; December 6, 1758, Vol. III. p. 574; October 1, 1763, Vol. IV. p. 122.

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

busses were reported by Commissary Bard on the 1st of August, 1st of Octo- ber, and 1st of December, 1758, and by Captain Graydon on the Ist of Octo- ber, 1763.

One of these old cannon is now in the possession of Sunbury Steam Fire Company, No. 1; the following interesting facts in its history have been developed by the researches of Dr. R. H. Awl: From Fort Augusta it was taken to Muncy and not returned until 1774; it was thrown into the river, out of which it was taken by Jacob Mantz, Samuel Hahn, and George Shoop in 1798. It then remained at Sunbury until 1824, when it was surreptitiously removed to Selinsgrove and placed in the cellar of a Mr. Baker. In the fol- lowing year a party from Sunbury, composed of George Hileman, John Epley, John Weaver, John Pickering, James McCormick, Jacob Diehl, and others, succeeded in regaining possession and placed it under a bed in the attic of John Weaver's hotel (the old stone building at the southeast corner of Market and Third streets). It was brought into requisition at the next 4th of July cele- bration and then hidden in the cellar of Robins's tannery on Market street, from which it was shortly afterward abstracted by Charles Awl, Samuel Kessler, Charles Baum, Elias Hummel, Michael Kleckner, Thomas Hala- bush, Samuel Winter, and Thomas Getgen, taken to New Berlin, and con- cealed in the cellar of a hotel. Intelligence of its hiding place having reached Sunbury, Charles Bradford, Jacob Keefer, Ezekiel Follmer, and others went to New Berlin in the night for the purpose of recovering the stolen property. They entered the cellar by a side door; the cannon had been placed upon a raised platform, which collapsed under their weight when they attempted to lift it off. The noise wakened a woman, who came down the inside stairway with a candle; Bradford knocked it from her hand, and the entire party sought safety in flight. Selinsgrove next succeeded in securing possession of the cannon, and from that place it was brought to Sunbury in 1834 by Dr. R. H. Awl, Charles Rhinehart, Henry V. Simpson, Thomas McEwen, Jeremiah Mantz, Jacob and John Richtstine, Isaac Zeigler, Edward Lyon, Peter Zimmerman, and George Mahan. Here it has since remained. In 1849 an attempt was made to remove it to Danville, but Captains Charles J. Bruner and Henry Wharton had been warned of the plot and the cannon was securely guarded at the house of Benjamin Krohn on Front street. When the Danville party arrived they found their designs effectually frustrated, and since that time Sunbury has enjoyed undisputed possession of this migratory piece of ordnance. It was chained to a five- hundred-pound stone in the "old barracks" on Front street for a time, and subsequently kept in Peter Weimer's cellar, Zeigler's tannery, the county jail, John Shissler's cellar, etc. For some years it was in the possession of Samuel Huey, from whom the present owners obtained it.

Several allusions are made to the flag in the official papers relating to Fort Augusta. "We want a good, large flag to grace it," wrote Commissary -

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Bard on the 4th of September, 1756. The want was evidently supplied, but on the 1st of July, 1758, it was again expressed by Captain Trump, in the following words: "Our colors are entirely worn out, and should be extremely glad of a new one; the staff is seventy feet high." Captain Graydon made the following entry in the journal under date of September 14, 1763: "This day got a new flag-staff placed and our flag hoisted."

Reference is frequently made to the health of the garrison. There was a hospital at the fort, but it was not constructed with reference to sanitary requirements, and on the 10th of February, 1757, Dr. John Morgan, the post surgeon, made complaint to Major Burd regarding the amount of "under water " in it; he also attributed his lack of success in the treatment of patients to the want of fresh provisions and vegetables, and readily assented to a prop- osition for the removal of the sick to Fort Halifax or Hunter. The latter was selected; and "the hospital, consisting of twenty-four sick," was sent thither by batteaux on the 23d of February. "Forty of the hospital" left the fort by similar conveyance on the 6th of April; their destination, and possibly that of the others also, was probably Harris's Ferry, for Doctor .

Morgan is reported in the return of April 1st as absent since March 29th "visit- ing the sick at Harris's." "I desired Captain Young to acquaint your Honor that there was neither surgeon nor doctor here," wrote Commissary Bard from Fort Augusta on the 1st of July, 1758, "since which he informs me there is one appointed for us; I hope he will be here soon, as several of our men are suffering for the want of one. I believe Doctor Morgan left us but few drugs, as the shop looks very thin." Dr. John Bond was commis- sioned as surgeon on the 11th of May, 1758, and his name appears in the returns of August 1, September 1, and December 1, 1758. On the 17th of October, 1763, Colonel Burd wrote that a surgeon and medicines were much needed, which is clearly evident from the following paragraph in his letter of November 25th: "The smallpox has been brought to this place, I believe by the volunteer parties; there is sundry of the soldiers down in them and a great number of the garrison has never had them, so that I expect they will be infected. I have no medicines, and therefore nature must do the whole." On the 10th of December he wrote: "I am glad a surgeon is allowed; Lieutenant Thomas Wiggins of my company is a surgeon, having served his apprenticeship with Doctor Thompson in Lancaster. He attended my family there; I always found him careful and I believe he understands his business, therefore would recommend him to your Honor for the double commission." He was accordingly appointed, and was the last resident surgeon at the fort.

But meager provision was made for the spiritual interests of the garrison. Among the Sunday entries in Major Burd's journal are the following: De- cember 2, 1756-"I have thought it my duty to-day to employ the carpen- ters in working at the beef cisterns. This day it rained so hard that we could not have sermon." March 19th-"This day we had two sermons, one

THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

forenoon and one afternoon, by Doctor Morgan." March 26th-"Had prayers and a sermon this forenoon and prayers in the afternoon by Doctor Morgan." January 2, 1757-"The weather this day would not permit sermon nor prayers." January 9th-No reference to religious exercises. January 16th -"Doctor Morgan read prayers this morning." January 23d-"We had prayers to-day at eleven o'clock." January 30th-"This day it rained so hard all day that we could not have prayers." February 6th-"We could not have sermon nor prayers." February 13th-"So extremely cold that I omit prayers, the officers complaining it was too severe." February 20th-"The fort was so wet we could not have sermon nor prayers to- day." February 27th-"No prayers on account of the severity of the weather." Parson Steele, the first regularly appointed chaplain, arrived on the 24th of March; on the following Sunday (the 27th) Major Burd wrote: "It snowed and rained so much to-day that we could not have sermon, but we had prayers toward evening in a general parade and the chaplain prayed in each of the barracks and the hospital." It is not probable that Parson Steele remained very long; he returned on the 10th of July, but again took his departure ou the 11th of August.

The accompanying plan of Fort Augusta is reproduced from that pub- lished in Volume XII. of the Pennsylvania Archives, to which the following explanatory notes are appended :-

The above plan was drawn from a copy of the original to which the following note is attached: Isaac Craig, engineer. "Faithfully copied by me for Richard Biddle, Esq., from the original deposited in the geographical and topographical collection attached to library of his late Majesty, George the Third, and presented by his Majesty, King George the Fourth, to the British Museum,

London, March, 1830.

WILLIAM OSMAN."

Fort Augusta stands at about forty yards distance from the river, on a bank twenty- four feet from the surface of the water; that side of the fort marked with single lines, which fronts the river, is a strong palisado, the bases of the logs being sunk four feet into the earth, the tops holed and spiked into strong ribbands, which run transversely and are mortised into several logs at twelve feet distance from each other, which are larger and higher than the rest, the joints between each palisado broke with firm logs well fitted on the inside and supported by the platform. The three sides represented by double lines are composed of logs laid horizontally, neatly done, dove-tailed, and trun- nelled down; they are squared-some of the lower ends three feet diameter, the least from two feet one half to eighteen inches diameter- and are mostly white oak. There are six four cannon mounted, one in the - of each bastion fronting the river and one in the -, and one in the flank of each of the opposite bastions; the woods cleared to the distance of three hundred yards, and some progress made in cutting the bank of the river into a glacis.

On the 23d of September, 1756, Colonel Clapham transmitted a plan of the fort to Governor Denny-probably the original of which that in the Brit- ish Museum is a copy, as the foregoing description harmonizes fully with what is known of the fort at that date. The magazine, Indian trading house, etc. had not been erected at that time, nor are they indicated on this plan;

HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

moreover, six cannon constituted the armament until May 19, 1757, so that the plan must have been made prior to that date.

The site of the fort was embraced in the manor of Pomfret, and con- tinued in possession of the Penn family until 1786. The demolition of the

West Branch

Island about two miles in length

North Branch

N. 5ºob W. 134 Feet

Stockades

N.52 oo E. 99 feet Stockades

Blockhouse

83 feet 30

N 51.00€.

Officer's

WALL

Quarters

NOIPIOS

Barracks barracks :

83 Feet

Soldiers

58 %

N. 70 00 E. 116 Feet

FORT AUGUSTA.

works probably began as soon as it became evident that they would be no longer required for military purposes. Colonel Samuel Hunter lived at the fort until his death in 1784; his residence and that of his family after his decease was the building originally erected as the colonel's quarters, of which an engraving is herewith given. It is reproduced from a painting in

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 8

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