History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 71

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 71

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The large party (or, as it has sometimes been called, the " insurgent army"), led by McFarlane, moved rap- idly towards the Neville mansion. The general, fully expecting a second visitation, was on the alert, and by some means became aware of the movements and great strength of the approaching party while they

1 It appears, however, that all were not present who had been warned or were expected to report at the rendezvous, and in the next issue of the Pittsburgh Gazette there was published the following warning from the mythical personage understood to represent the insurgent power, viz .:

" Advertisement.

" In taking a survey of the troops under my command, in the late ex- pedition against that insolent exciseman, John Neville, I find there were a great many delinquents now amongst those who carry on dis- tilling. It will therefore be. observed that Tom the Tinker will not suf- fer any certain class, or set of men, to be excluded the service of this my district, when notified to attend on any expedition in order to ob- struct the execution of the law, and obtain a repeal thereof. And I do declare, upon my solemn word, that if such delinquents do not come forth on the next alarm, in equipments, and give their assistance, as in them lies in opposing the execution, and obtaining a repeal of the ex- cise laws, he, or they, will be deemed as enemies, and standing opposed to the virtuous principles of republican liberty, and shall receive pun- ishment according to the nature of the offence, and that at least the con- sumption of his distillery.

" TOM THE TINKER."

"July 19, 1794.

This notice in the Gazette was prefaced by the following, addressed to the editor and proprietor of that paper :

" MR. SCULL,-I am under the necessity of requesting you to put the following in your next paper. It was found posted on a tree near my distillery.

"JOHN REED.

were yet a considerable distance away, and believing that his life would be in danger in the presence of such a large and greatly excited crowd, very wisely retired towards Pittsburgh, leaving the defense of the house to Maj. Kirkpatrick, the soldiers, and the ne- groes. The insurgent party soon arrived, and finding that the house was closed and barricaded, and also (to their surprise) that it was garrisoned by soldiers, halted for consultation, and finally advanced a flag of truce, demanding that Neville should surrender himself, with his commission, inspection-books, and official papers. The flag returned, reporting that Neville was not in the house. Again a flag was sent, with the demand that six persons of the besieging party be allowed to search the house for the inspector and the papers. A peremptory refusal was returned, whereupon the flag was sent for the third time, now with notice for the women and children to leave the house. This was complied with, and a desultory firing was then com- menced on both sides, but no general assault was made on the house, the assailants contenting them- selves for the time with firing from cover, like In- dians, while the defenders replied occasionally from the windows. Finally, during a temporary lull in the firing, Maj. McFarlane stepped out from behind a tree which he had been using as a shelter, and on doing so was fired on from the house, receiving a bul- let-wound in the groin, from which he died in a few minutes. It was alleged by the insurgents that a white flag had been treacherously displayed at an upper window, and which, being regarded by McFar- lane as a signal for a cessation of hostilities, caused him to expose himself as a target for the fatal shot, which, as they also claimed, was fired by Maj. Kirk- patrick himself.

At the death of McFarlane the insurgents became furious with rage, and boldly advancing from their cover, set fire to the barn and outbuildings. As the flames spread it became evident that the house must also be destroyed, and realizing this, and consequently the hopelessness of further resistance, Maj. Kirkpat- rick surrendered. The house was entirely consumed with all its contents, except the liquors, which the as- sailants were careful to save, by breaking open the cellar and rolling out the casks before the house was burned. The casks were opened and most of the men became intoxicated, but it does not appear that such was the case with the principal leaders.ª Among the contents of the house which were destroyed was a large sum in money and bonds. All the outbuildings were burned, except a meat-house, which was spared, and a guard placed on it at the request of the negroes, who said the bacon contained in it was all that they had left to depend on for their subsistence.

The prisoners taken by the insurgents at Bower Hill were Kirkpatrick, the soldiers, Ensign Sample, Maj.

2 " Notwithstanding their rolling out the liquors and drinking them," Bays Brackenridge, "there is not to be found in the history of riots au instance of greater forbearance and less of savage ferocity "

" July 23, 1794."

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lenox the marshal, Maj. Isaac Craig, and Col. Presley Neville, the son of the general; young Neville, with Majs. Lenox and Craig, having come up from Pitts- burgh, and arrived at the scene of action at about the time of Kirkpatrick's surrender. The soldiers were at once liberated, and allowed to depart for Pittsburgh unmolested. Kirkpatrick succeeded in making his escape ; being assisted to do so by David Hamilton, of Ginger Hill, Washington Co., who was present with the attacking party. Maj. Craig was liberated. Col. Presley Neville and Maj. Lenox, the marshal, were disarmed and set at liberty on a kind of parole, embracing (as was alleged by the insurgents) an agree- ment on the part of the marshal that he would serve no more writs, and would make no return of those which had been served, and would surrender his per- son when such surrender should be demanded. It was claimed that Col. Neville also agreed to hold him- self as a prisoner on parole ; but the existence of such an agreement was denied both by the marshal and Col. Neville.

Having done their work of devastation at Neville's, the rioters marched southward, taking with them the body of Maj. McFarlane, which they buried in the old graveyard at the Mingo Creek meeting-house, where his grave may still be seen, marked by a stone bearing an inscription to his memory. At the time of his burial there were present at and around the old Mingo Creek meeting-house a great assemblage of sympathizing people, many of them sad and thought- ful in view of the possible consequences of the lawless acts that had been done, but the great majority in a half frenzied state of mind, and wild with rage against Gen. Neville and Maj. Lenox. It was proposed and vehemently advocated to march in a body a thousand strong (which number of men could easily have been raised) from Mingo Creek to attack Pittsburgh and capture the inspector and the marshal, but this project was opposed by the committee which had been chosen to deliberate upon the situation and control the action of the assemblage. The committee decided that in- stead of the proposed plan of marching to Pittsburgh in a body, David Hamilton and John Black should be sent to that town, to meet Neville and Lenox ; to demand of the former a resignation of his commission, and of the latter that the writs which he had served should be surrendered (as it was claimed he had prom- ised to do), in order to prevent the possibility of their being returned. Hamilton and Black proceeded on their way, being accompanied by the committee as far as Shockan's tavern, four miles south of Pittsburgh, where they left the committee and rode into town.1

There they found Neville and Lenox, and made known to them the errand on which they had been sent by the committee. Both the inspector and the marshal refused compliance with the demands made on them, the marshal positively denying that he had, while a prisoner, promised to give up the writs. Having received these final and decisive answers Black and Hamilton remained in Pittsburgh over- night, and in the morning crossed to the south side of the Monongahela on their return to the committee, whom they expected to find still in session at Shockan's tavern, but on their arrival there, found that the com- mittee had returned to Mingo Creek, where the two men followed them to report what they had done in Pittsburgh.

In the evening of July 18th, a few hours after Hamilton and Black delivered the committee's mes- sage to Gen. Neville and Maj. Lenox, the latter two fled from Pittsburgh, passing down the Ohio in a small boat in the midst of a heavy thunder-storm, afterwards landing on the Virginia shore, and making their way through that State and Maryland to the East, where Neville remained until the army crossed the mountains to quell the insurrection.

When Hamilton and Black reported to the com- mittee the result of their mission in Pittsburgh, & meeting was at once called, to be held at the Mingo Creek Meeting-house on Wednesday, the 23d of July. It was ostensibly to be a meeting of the "committee," but it was notified through all the eastern and central parts of Washington and Allegheny Counties and in the western parts of Westmoreland and Fayette. On the appointed day there was a great assemblage of people at the old church. "Many of the best men

puted by a committee of these people to go to Pittsburgh to return the pistols taken from the Marshal, and to have a fulfillment from him of what had been agreed upon on his part. Understood from Hamilton that he had consented to go, in order to prevent the people from coming in themselves and doing mischief, for there was danger of their going in at that time. Went with Hamilton to Pittsburgh, and met the Mar- shal and Colonel Neville. Hamilton explained his business, returning the pistols, and required a fulfillment of what was agreed upon, viz .: that he would serve no further writs, and not return those that were served. The Marshal said he had not agreed not to return the writs. A query was then in the mind of Hamilton, what effect the returns would have. At his request I went to Mr. Brackenridge to ask his opinion, as a lawyer. He said it was a delicate point, and he would talk to the Marshal. On this he went out, and came in with the Marshal and Col. Neville. Upon that, I went out, and, after some time, re- turned; and Mr. Brackenridge said he was not much acquainted with the practice of the Federal courts, but would consult, and give his opin- ion in the morning. He gave his opinion in writing; which Hamilton thought would not be satisfactory to the committee. It was understood that the committee would be sitting till he returned. It was proposed to return by Neville's house; and it was our wish that some of the gen- tlemen of Pittsburgh should go with us. General Gibson, Doctor Bed- ford, Mr. Brackenridge, and others had consented to go. The day look- ing for rain, or for other cause, some declined going. Mr. Brackenridge came; I understood him to be about to go forward to the committee, to Bee if he could not satisfy the people in respect to the Marshal. In my conversation with Mr. Brackenridge, with respect to the burning of General Neville's house, he said it was an unhappy affair, and was afraid it would turn out a civil war, that government would call out the mili- tia, that we were the militia ourselves, and have to be at war with one

1 An account of the journey of Hamilton and Black to Pittsburgh, and of the business on which they went there, on the day following the burning of Neville's house, is found in an affidavit made by John Black before William Meetkirk, a justice of the peace for Washington County, in May, 1795, as follows:

"Being about to go to Pittsburgh, I fell in with a body of people collecting for the burying of Captain James McFarlane, who had fallen at the burning of Gen. Neville's house; David Hamilton had been de- I another."

275

THE WHISKEY INSURRECTION.

of the land were there, some upon compulsion, others to prevent, if possible, rash measures." There was a delegation from Pittsburgh, among whom were George Robinson, chief burgess of the borough, Col. William Sample, Peter Audrain, Josiah Tannehill, William H.

after the first attack on the house of the inspector, when the adjacent country was about to be roused to a second attack, persons went to the town of Wash- ington and called on Marshel and Bradford to come forward on that occasion, which they declined. The Beaumont, and Hugh H. Brackenridge. Among those | expression of Bradford reported to me is, 'I cannot present from Washington were David Bradford (dep- uty attorney-general) and Col. James Marshel, who had been county lieutenant in the trying times of the Revolution. Craig Ritchie was there from Canons- burg, and Col. Edward Cook, formerly county lieu- tenant of Westmoreland, and then associate judge in Fayette County. Brackenridge, of Pittsburgh, at- tended, as he says, with the expectation of finding it a committee meeting, but he found "a large assem- blage or mass-meeting, some from a distance, but the majority consisting of those who had been engaged in the riot and outrage at the house of the inspector." The avowed purpose of the leaders was to commit the whole western country "to adoption of the crimes already perpetrated, and by combination to procure impunity." act ; you may do as you think proper.' He alluded, or was supposed to allude, to his being prosecuting counsel for the commonwealth, and in that case not at liberty to do what others might. After the destruc- tion of the house, persons went to Marshel and Brad- ford, demanding of them to come out and support what had been done, or they would burn their houses. They had a claim upon them, as having been conspic- uous in the deliberative committees with regard to the excise law, and alleged that Bradford had en- couraged them to do what they had done by his words when he was urged to take part before the burning. 'I encourage!' said he. 'Good God! I never thought of such a thing.' 'Yes you did en- courage,' said they ; 'and if you do not come forward now and support us you shall be treated in the same

The meeting having been organized by the choice or worse manner as the excise officer.' He found of Col. Edward Cook as chairman and Craig Ritchie - himself thus under the necessity of taking part; and that being the case, he would seem from that time to have adopted the most violent counsels. Marshel was also obliged to take part, and, having done so, to pursue a violent course. I am of opinion that both of these men acted in the first instance under a sub- ordination to popular influence. Be this as it may, it is not from a solicitude to make an apology for them that I state this, but from a wish to show the truth of the transaction. Edward Cook also came, prob- ably at the solicitation and under the fear of the people. Craig Ritchie and many others I know did. They had with great difficulty avoided going to the attack on the house of the inspector, but could not avoid at least the appearance of being with the people now." as secretary, proceeded to business, which was in a great degree the delivery of and listening to inflam- matory speeches. "There was," says Brackenridge,1 "the appearance of gloom and distrust in the counte- nances of all, especially of those who had taken an active part in the recent riots. The fury of the mo- ment had passed off, but time had not yet been given for cool reflection ; those who were committed began to have some vague idea of being involved in treason- able acts. The gloom of these was not that of sorrow or repentance; the unextinguished fire of rage still glowed in their bosoms, and required but little to fan it into fierceness. No one knew how far to trust his next neighbor; and however much he might be op- posed to violence himself, he was afraid that the first person he addressed might be one of the enragé, and himself suspected of incivism, for a vague and unde- fined apprehension hung over all, rendering life itself insecure. .. . Every countenance discovered a strong sense of the solemnity of the occasion, those who had been involved not more than those who were afraid to be involved. It will be asked, how came any one there who was afraid to be involved? I have ac- counted for my being there; but how came David Bradford, James Marshel, Edward Cook, and Craig Ritchie there ? I select these instances. As to Mar- shel and Bradford, I am at. a loss to say anything by way of opinion or deduction. I can only state what I have understood from others, or what is within my own knowledge. Not having had the least communi- cation with Marshel or Bradford prior to that day, or on that day, on the subject, I have nothing of my own knowledge. I have understood from others that

So much for the opinion expressed by the elder Brackenridge as to the motives which actuated some of the principal men who were present at Mingo Church on the 23d of July, 1794. Now with regard to the proceedings of the meeting held at that time and place. In his " History of the Western Insur- rection," page 60, et seq., H. M. Brackenridge says, "The first thing which took place after the opening of the meeting was the reading a letter which was pre- sented by Benjamin Parkinson from Col. [Presley] Neville (and which had been brought by one of the Pittsburgh party), stating that his father and the marshal [Lenox] had left the county ; that the mar- shal had not considered himself bound by that part of his engagement which was to surrender himself when demanded, and for which engagement he (Ne- ville) had become sponsor, because, after the engage- ment made, and the marshal dismissed upon it, he had been again arrested and was indebted to himself I for his escape. That with regard to what had been

1 In his " Incidents of the Western Insurrection."

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

done by them, they had burned his father's house, and they might burn his, but he had enough beyond their reach. As men of honor, he conceived, they ought to approve the intrepidity of Kirkpatrick in defending the house of a friend. It is observed by Mr. Brackenridge (father of the writer) that this letter had a bad effect on those to whom it was addressed, had better have been written in a different spirit, and; better still, not written at all. His praise of Kirk- patrick did not accord with public opinion, and his allusion to the particular case only excited indigna- tion, as it was generally believed, perhaps erroneously, that McFarlane had fallen by his hand when, deceived by a flag of truce, he stepped into the open space of the road to command the assailants to cease firing. Besides, the defiant tone, the boast of wealth tended to exasperate instead of awakening within them a proper sense of the wrong they had committed. It added not a little to the embarrassment of the situa- tion of those who now attended the meeting at his solicitation.1

" This and some other letters being read and re- marked upon, Benjamin Parkinson addressed the chair. ‘You know,' said he, 'what has been done ; we wish to know whether what has been done is right or wrong, and whether we are to be supported, or left to ourselves ?' These ominous words were followed by silence for some time. The Pittsburgh party was struck with astonishment, and Mr. Brackenridge de- clares that he felt in agony of mind for himself and his associates in that assemblage of persons who ap- peared to be excited to desperation, and feeling them- selves thus placed in a situation to vote against a proposition perhaps at the peril of their lives or to give a direct sanction to treason. They felt some- what relieved when Marshel, who followed, observed that the question was not as to what had been done, but what was to be done in the future? Bradford now rose, and in a most inflammatory speech sustained what had been done and applauded the rioters, de- manding that it be put to vote whether those present gave their approval, and would pledge themselves to support those who had attacked and destroyed the house of the inspector. His violent declamation was of considerable length, 'and yet,' says Mr. Bracken- ridge, 'from my knowledge of the man, I doubt whether he spoke according to his wish, or according to the humor of the people, and through fear of them." There was again a dead silence for some time after he had concluded. Those who were implicated were no doubt eager and anxious for the vote, and the others, at least the more reflecting, were alarmed at this unexpected predicament in which they were placed.

"Marshel came to Mr. Brackenridge and requested him to speak. This gentleman had already settled in his mind some outline of an address, but called on so unexpectedly, and knowing that the popular current was strongly against him and his associates (the per- sons who had come up with him to the meeting from Pittsburgh), he was much at a loss what to say ; but the situation was too urgent to admit of such delay or reflection. One of his associates, Mr. Audrain, in his statement declared that he never felt himself in a situation so embarrassing in his life. Mr. Bracken- ridge, observing the eyes of the audience turned upon him, advanced to the middle of the aisle, toward the chair, and began in a slow, deliberate, and even hesi- tating manner, encountering the angry scowls of the principal leaders, who were in favor of pushing the people to still greater acts of violence."

It appears from the accounts of Brackenridge's speech on this occasion that he (as well as his friend Audrain) found himself in an extremely embarras- sing situation, for although he "had already settled in his mind some outline of an address" which would satisfy the excited multitude without giving utterance to words which might be quoted against him in case of disaster (which, in his far-sightedness, he realized might result) to the insurrectionary movement. But there was no alternative; the people expected a speech from him, and he proceeded. "He began by giving a narrative of what had taken place in Pitts- burgh, the withdrawal from the country of the mar- shal and the inspector, who were supposed to have de- scended the river," and made merry in the recital of the hasty manner in which one of the Neville party (Maj. Craig) had closed the inspection office in town, tearing down the cloth or paper sign over the door, and sending the mutilated fragments of it to the in- surgents in proof of the fact. To Parkinson's ques- tion, " whether what has been done is right or wrong ?" he returned an evasive answer, saying that the act of burning Neville's house might be morally right, it was legally wrong and treasonable, and that the President might call out the militia to enforce the law. At this there was sensation of rather an alarming nature among the audience, which the speaker made haste to allay by assuring them that the President, before pro- ceeding to such a measure, would reflect on the diffi- culty of securing the obedience of the Eastern militia to orders to march against the people in the West; that those of the middle counties and of the upper parts of Virginia and Maryland would obey only with the greatest reluctance, if at all, and that if any troops could be obtained, it would be only those from the seaboard portions and from New Jersey ; and that for these reasons the President would doubtless be disposed to grant an amnesty. But the request for such amnesty would, he said, come with better grace from those who were not implicated than from those who were already so, and "that it was not the inter- est of the latter to involve others, but to let them re-

I Meaning H. H. Brackenridge, who, as he says in his " Incidents of the Western Insurrection," went to the Mingo Creek meeting only at the earnest solicitation of Col. Presley Neville, between whom and himself " an apparent friendship had existed up to this period, although there was a different feeling on the part of some of the [Neville] connection with Mr. Brackenridge."

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THE WHISKEY INSURRECTION.

main as they were, in order to act as mediating men with the government.1 At this point in the speech Parkinson and others began to show signs of exas- peration, and therefore he attempted to restore them to good humor by telling his hearers that the Presi- dent had repeatedly shown himself anxious to avoid war, especially civil war, and cited the instance in which the United States government had receded from its position in regard to the Presque Isle estab- lishment, on account of the threats of the Indian chief Cornplanter, with a few beggarly Senecas at his back, spicing his address with a burlesque of Corn- planter and the Secretary of War making speeches to each other on the subject. Finally, he proposed the calling of a larger meeting, to include representatives from the whole revenue survey, and that in the mean time a delegation (of which he offered to be one) be sent to the President, though the precise ob- ject for sending such delegation does not appear. At the end of the speech most of the audience adjourned to the spring near by for the apparent purpose of drinking. "In the mean time Mr. Brackenridge col- lected his companions and advised them to leave the ground without delay, to avoid the danger of being again called on by the meeting ; but in order to avoid the appearance of retiring in haste, he returned to the ground to show himself for a few moments, and then joined his company and departed." By his at- tendance and speech at the Mingo Creek meeting he had identified himself with the insurgents (at least in the estimation of the government officials) ; but if his object had been to gain popularity with the mul- titude, he had, for the time, failed in his object, though he afterwards secured and held it during the continuance of the insurrection.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 71

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216