History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 73

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 73

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These propositions were at once brought before the meeting and fully considered. All agreed that some- thing must be done, and done immediately. If the forces should move on Pittsburgh with hostile intent, the destruction of the town was sure, for the assail- ants would number thousands,-the greater part fighting men who had seen service in the Revolution and Indian campaigns,-while the defenders would not exceed three hundred, including the forty or fifty men who formed the garrison of the fort, and it was suspected that even among the townspeople there were some who, having no property at stake, would be likely to go over to the enemy in case of an attack in strong force. Among the dwellings of the town there were none of any strength to resist an assault; all were mere wooden structures which could easily be burned over the heads of the inmates. The fort itself was but a slight stockade, which, although it

quartermaster, had removed into it with his family. Col. Neville had prepared to defend himself in his own house. Under these circum- stances it was thought advisable by the citizens to call a town-meeting, to consider what was to be done for their own safety and that of the place thus threatened with destruction."-H. M. Brackenridge's History of the Western Insurrection.

I " We gave it as our opinion that the town was in imminent danger of being destroyed if some of the obnoxious characters were not sent away, for that we ourselves have been insulted on the road coming there by some people when they understood we were going to Pittsburgh, for they said we were going there as spies to tell the people to get out of the way, and that we ought to be taken prisoners, and they actually raised a party to follow us for that purpose, as we were afterwards informed." -Affidavit of William Meetkirk, one of the Washington Committee.

would afford security against rifle-shots, was but weakly garrisoned, and could be soon carried by a heavy assaulting force without the aid of artillery, and even if the enemy should decline to assault it would fall after a siege of a few days, as it was but lightly provisioned. It could afford little protection to the citizens by its artillery, for the guns were light, and the work stood a mile away from the cluster of buildings called the town. These circumstances being duly considered, it was evident that the idea of resistance was not to be entertained, and thereupon the people unanimously adopted the only course offering a probability of safety, namely, to banish the proscribed persons, and to march en masse to the in- surgent rendezvous on the following day, as will be seen by the minutes of the meeting," which are here given, viz .:

" At a meeting of the inhabitants of Pittsburgh, on Thursday evening, July 31, 1794, to take into consideration the present condition of affairs, and declare their sentiments on this delicate crisis. A great majority, almost the whole of the inhabitants of the town assembled. It being. announced to the meeting that certain gentlemen from the town of Washington had arrived, and had signified that they were intrusted with a message to the inhabitants of the town relative to present affairs, a committee of three persons were appointed to confer with them, and report the message to the meeting. The persons appointed were George Wallace, H. H. Brackenridge, and John Wilkins, Jr. These gentlemen made a report to the meeting, to wit : That in consequence of certain letters sent by the last mail, certain persons were discovered as advo- cates of the excise law, and enemies to the interests of the country, and that a certain Edward Day, James Bryson, and Abraham Kirkpatrick were particularly obnoxious, and that it was expected by the country that they should be dismissed without delay ; whereupon it was resolved it should be done, and a committee of twenty-one were appointed to see this resolution carried into offect.

" Also that whereas it is a part of the message from the gentlemen of Washington, that a great body of the people of the country will meet to-morrow at Braddock's Field, in order to carry into effect measures that may seem to them advisable with respect to the excise law, and the advocates of it.

" Resolved, That the above committee shall, at an early hour, wait npon the people on the ground, and assure the people that the above resolu- tion, with respect to the proscribed persons, has been carried into effect.

" Resolved, also, That the inhabitants of the town shall march out and join the people on Braddock's Field, as brethren, to carry into effect with them any measure that may seem to them advisable for the com- mon cause.

" Resolved, also, That we shall be watchful among ourselves of all char- acters that, by word or act, may be unfriendly to the common cause; and, when discovered, will not suffer them to live amongst us, but they shall instantly depart the town.

" Resolved, That the town committee shall exist as a committee of in- formation and correspondence as an organ of our sentiments until our next town meeting. And that whereas, a general meeting of delegates from the townships of the country on the west of the mountains will be held at Parkinson's Ferry on the Monongahela on the 14th of August next,

" Resolved, That delegates shall be appointed to that meeting, and that the 9th of August next be appointed for a town meeting to elect such delegates.

" Resolved, also, that a number of handbills be struck off at the ex- pense of the committee, and distributed among the inhabitants of the town, that they may conduct themselves accordingly."

Immediately after the passage of these resolutions the people dispersed. The committee of twenty-one at once warned Kirkpatrick, Bryson, and Day to leave

Penn. Archives, vol. iv. pp. 79-80.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the town,1 and also placed the proceedings of the meeting in the hands of John Scull, proprietor of the Pittsburgh Gazette, with orders to print six hundred copies, adding to the resolutions the certificate of the committee that the proscribed persons had already been warned, and had complied by leaving the town. The printed handbills to this effect were placed in the hands of the Washington committee to be distributed among the people at the rendezvous.

The people of Pittsburgh had done all in their power to appease the wrath which was held against them by a large proportion of the insurgents and those sympathizing with them among the inhabitants of the four counties (particularly those of Allegheny and Washington), but there was little sleep in the town that night, and all looked forward with dread to the morrow, which was more than likely to close on the smoking ruins of their homes.

At Braddock's Field on the appointed day there gathered a vast and excited multitude (variously es- timated at from five thousand to eight thousand men), of whom a large proportion were militiamen and volunteers under arms. More than half of those present were men of Washington County, as were nearly all of the principal leaders. Among the great throng of persons assembled there, very few were fa- vorable to the government and to the execution of the law. Such as were there of this class had come to the rendezvous lest their absence might be made a cause for proscription.2 But they were compelled,

1 No compulsion was necessary to induce the obnoxious persons to leave Pittsburgh, as demanded by the insurrectionists ; but it afterwards appeared that they did not withdraw to any great distance, or go with any intention of remaining long away. "It was agreed," says H. M. Brackenridge, "that the proscribed should leave the town ostensibly as if banished, and that those who remained behind, some of whom would have been banished also, should put on a mask of being with the mob called ' the people, and the insurgents at Braddock's Field.' .. .

"Two days after the alarming march of the Whiskey Boys from Brad- dock's Field, it was rumored that Kirkpatrick had been seen in town. This rumor was traced to one of the inhabitants, on which the committee was called upon to inquire of that person, and to admonish him, in case he had circulated a false report. As the committee was assembling, Major Craig and Col. Neville were met coming from the garrison, and on being interrogated, acknowledged that Kirkpatrick was then in the garrison, having returned to town, The fact caused indignation in the committee; they considered themselves ill used, after the exertions they had made to save Kirkpatrick, and the dangers to which they had been exposed on his account and that of his connections, and resolved that Craig and Neville should be seized in his stead. The former returned to the garrison ; the latter came before the committee . . . and stated that Kirkpatrick had returned for want of an escort, having been dogged by a party from whom his life was in danger. The committee undertook to furnish the escort, which was done; and he escaped by a circuitous way, until he reached the mountains, where he took the direct road to Philadelphia,

" Edward Day had gone down the river; Bryson was concealed a few days at the house of Robert Galbraith, Esq., the prosecuting attorney, who resided a few miles out of town. The country getting wind of it, collected in a mob, and surrounded the house at night, and insisted on searching, but in the mean time he had left the place. Gibson and Neville, at the instance of the Pittsburgh committee at Braddock's Field, had been allowed ten days to prepare for their departure, with passports for their security."-History of the Western Insurrection.

2 Mr. Brackenridge, in describing the general feeling prevailing at that time throughout the western counties, says, " A breath in favor of the law was sufficient to ruin any man, Is was considered as a badge of

out of regard for their personal safety, to conceal their real sentiments ; and some of them had even assumed the rôle of leaders, for the purpose (as they said after- wards when the insurrection had been crushed) of gaining the confidence of the disaffected multitude, and then by organization and judicious management to restrain them from proceeding to outrage and re- bellion. The Hon. Hugh H. Brackenridge was one of these, and there were some among the Washington County leaders whose course has been similarly ex- plained. There were also present at Braddock's Field on this occasion some who went there merely as specta- tors, without any strong feeling on either side ; but by far the greater part were in full sympathy with the insurgent cause. Mr. Brackenridge, who was a mem- ber of the Pittsburgh committee and marched with them to the field in accordance with the resolutions of the meeting above mentioned, gave the following description of what he saw there on the memorable first and second days of August :

" The ground where Braddock fought is on the east side (right bank) of the Monongahela, and on the same side with the town of Pittsburgh. The militia from Washington had therefore to cross the river in order to come upon the ground. They had crossed in great numbers at the same ford where Braddock did, and were now on the ground. They were dressed in what we call hunting-shirts, many of them with handkerchiefs on their heads ; it is in this dress they equipped themselves against the Indians. They were amusing themselves with shooting with balls at marks, and firing in the air at random with powder only. There was a continual discharge of guns, and constant smoke in the woods and along the bank of the river. There appeared great wantonness of mind, and a disposition to do anything extravagant. We [the Pittsburgh committee] had advanced within the camp, as it was called, when the committee halted, and waited for Gen. Wilkins at the head of the Pitts- burgh militia to approach. I saw him march by us, and discovered in his countenance a sufficient evidence of a sense of danger. Though I knew him to be a man of great personal intrepidity, yet I did not won- der at his apprehensions. Nothing but his appearing at the head of the militia could have saved him. I was thinking of his danger, when I turned my head a moment and was struck with the sight of the very man I was most afraid of, Andrew McFarlane | brother of James McFarlane, who was killed at the burning of Gen. Neville's house], just by me. He was dressed in a blue coat, with a dark visage, lowering counte- nance, and a rifle in his hand, looking at me. I

Toryism. A clergyman was not thought orthodox in the pulpit unless against the law. A physician was not capable of administering medi- cine unless his principles were right in this respect. A lawyer could have got no practice without at least concealing his sentiments if for the law, nor could a merchant at a country store get custom. On the con- trary, to talk against the law was the way to cffice and emolument. To go to the Legislature or to Congress you must make a noise against it. It was the Shibboleth of safety, and the ladder of ambition."

283

THE WHISKEY INSURRECTION.

eyed him in my turn, but did not venture to speak. . . . After some time he turned about and went away. The next object that arrested my attention was Bradford walking before a number of battalions that had just crossed the river, and were ranged on the bank to be viewed by him. . . .

"Having been some time on the ground I fell in with Benjamin Parkinson. ... He was in a group of men whom I knew to be warm in the cause. . . . All or most of them had been at the conflagration of the house of the Inspector. . . . They sat in a group on the ground, each with his rifle in his hand, or lying by him. I sat with them. The conversation turned upon the burning of the house, and they ex- pressed great rage against Kirkpatrick, who had been the cause of burning it, and of the death of James McFarlane, by his refusing to let the house be searched for the Inspector's commission and pa- pers. They expressed resentment against Major Butler for sending out soldiers to the house of the Inspector. They had inquired for Ormsby, who had accompanied Neville, the younger, and the Marshal from Pittsburgh. I said he was upon the ground, but was scarcely worth looking after. . .. I did not know that in the mean time the young man had been on the point of assassination. Fifteen men had painted themselves black as the Indian warriors do when they go to war. They had gone in search of Ormsby. Zedick [Enoch ?] Wright, of Peters Creek, had discovered it, and having a good will for the family, or from motives of humanity, made haste to give him the intelligence of it, a few minutes, not a quarter of an hour, when they were seen to pass by openly in pursuit of him. He made his way to Pittsburgh in the course of the day by devious routes, and lay concealed in the barracks of the old garri- son until the whole cavalcade was over. . . .

" People were coming in from every quarter all that day, generally armed, but some without arms. It was impossible to know the real sentiments of almost any one amongst the multitude, how far they were . stay at the rendezvous no matter how hungry they there from necessity or of choice. Every man was afraid of the opinions of another .. Sometimes a word dropped, which might be construed away if not well taken, would lead to a confidence. The great bulk of the people were certainly in earnest, and the revolutionary language and the ideas of the French people had become familiar. It was not tarring and ! feathering as at the commencement of the Revolu- tion from Great Britain, but guillotining,-that is, putting to death by any way that offered. I am per- suaded that if even Bradford himself that day had 1 " David Bradford assumed the office of major-general ; mounted on a superb horse in splendid trappings, arrayed in full martial uniform, with plumes floating in the air and sword drawn, he rode over the ground, gave orders to the military, and harangued the multitude. Never was mortal man more flattered than was David Bradford on Braddock's Field. Everything depended on his will. The insurgents adored him, paid him the most servilo homage in order to be able to control and manage him."-Carnahan. ventured to check the violence of the people in any way that was not agreeable to them, and had be- trayed the least partiality for the excise law, or per- haps even of a remission of his zeal against it, he would have sunk in an instant from his power, and they would have hung him on the first tree. . Certain it is that his influence was great. I saw a

man wade into the river, lift cold water from the bottom of the channel, and bring it in his hat to him to drink. Applications were made to him that day for commissions in the service.1 Nevertheless, what- ever his idea might have been, he would have seen the extent of his power if he had ventured to tell the people that they should return without going to Pittsburgh. It was the object of all men who were apprehensive of the consequences to dissuade from this, but it appeared doubtful through the whole day whether or not it was practicable. It was afterwards found that it was not."

The troops bivouacked for the night upon the mus- tering-ground, and when the shadows of evening fell hundreds of fires blazed brightly in the woods and along the slopes of the historic field. The men stretched themselves in careless comfort on their blankets or upon the bare ground. Many were hilarious, and all were good-humored and cheerful, except the Pittsburgh people, who still felt great anxiety in view of what might be the fate of their town on the morrow. Besides this they had another source of discomfort in the fact that, not having come with the expectation of remaining overnight, they brought no provisions with them, and were conse- quently suffering from hunger. Some of the Pitts- burghers attempted (notwithstanding the order that all should remain on the ground through the night) to steal away and return to town to procure food, but as they were still regarded with suspicion their move- ments were closely watched, and they were compelled to remain. "In the evening," said John Wilkins, of Pittsburgh,2 "I intended coming to town, and met with some of my neighbors who wished the same ; we came as far as Judge Wallace's. A. man came after and acquainted us that no man should go to Pitts- burgh that night,-another severe stroke. However, the order must be obeyed. I then got into a farm- house for the night." They were told that, for their own safety, as well as that of their town, they must might be, for if their absence was discovered they would be suspected of deserting the cause, and the consequences would be serious. At the time when the party attempted to leave and return to town the fact was immediately noticed, and a clamor raised, but Col. Marshel, who was friendly to them, sent a messenger to order them back, and when they had returned he and a few others took care to let the fact be known among the men in all the battalions.

2 In a letter to Gen. Irvine, dated Aug. 19, 1794; Penn. Archives, 2d Series, vol. iv. pp. 168-72.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

" About midnight," says Brackenridge, "I rode through the camp where the people were lying at the fires in their blankets or without. I made a pretense of inquiring for the Pittsburgh battalion, and with this in view at the same time to let them know the Pittsburgh people were still on the ground. My principal object was to ascertain the determination of the people with regard to their coming to Pitts- burgh. I found the universal sentiment to be that they would see the town. There was little sleep in the camp. The firing and shouting had ceased, but there was a continued conversation.

" Passing on to a range of fires, I found Hamilton's battalion [composed of the Mingo Creek men]. This had arrived late in the evening. It had been long expected, and was called the ' bloody battalion.' The greatest part of it had been at the burning of the In- spector's house. We expected desperate measures when these came. It was commanded by John Ham- ilton, a man very moderate and reasonable, and who was disposed to restrain the people from acts of vio- lence, and with that view had come with them. David Hamilton, his cousin, was the first that accosted me, and wishing to serve me with the people, called out, 'This is a true Whig, but what do you think of that d-d fellow, James Ross ? He has been here, and all through the camp, persuading the people not to go to Pittsburgh.' . .. Returning to a farm-house just by the camp, where some of our committee were, I communicated the result of my observations. Some of them had been through the camp in the same manner, and had the same impressions that I had with regard to the impossibility of preventing the people from coming to town."

At an early hour on the following morning a coun- cil of officers was called, and a committee of three persons from each battalion chosen to say what should be done. The committee retired to a grove and organ- ized, with Col. Edward Cook as chairman. They were harangued by Bradford, who put the question what was to be done with certain objectionable persons who still remained in Pittsburgh,-Maj. Butler, command- ant of the garrison, Gen. Gibson, Maj. Isaac Craig, and others. It was decided to take no action against Majs. Butler and Craig until the Parkinson's Ferry meeting, to be held on the 14th. The deliberations of the committee were interfered with by a great crowd of people who gathered around them. These began to grow impatient when the cases of Craig and Butler were under consideration, and plainly informed the committee that they should take the matter into their own hands if there was much more delay. Then Bradford at once proposed that the entire body should march to Pittsburgh, and in this he was seconded by Brackenridge, who, despairing of success in opposition to the project, conceived the idea of guiding and con- trolling the lawless movement by apparent acquies- cence. "Yes," said he, "by all means let us go, if for no other reason than to give a proof to our oppo- ?

nents that we are capable of maintaining the strictest order, and of refraining from all excesses. Let us march through the town, muster on the banks of the Monongahela, take a little whiskey with the people, and then move the troops across the river." The plan was adopted. Officers were appointed,-David Brad- ford and Edward Cook, generals, and Col. Gabriel Blakeney, officer of the day,-and under their com- mand the entire body moved over the Monongahela road to Pittsburgh, Brackenridge leading the column as guide, on account of his knowledge of the country and the roads.

As soon as it was fully decided that the troops should march to Pittsburgh, and some time before the column was formed and put in motion, Bradford very thoughtfully sent the Pittsburgh committee forward to notify the people of the movement. One of those who went in advance for this purpose was John Wil- kins, who, in the letter before quoted from, says, "I did not go into camp [from the farm-house where he had passed the preceding night] until nine o'clock Saturday morning; the first orders I received were that the committee of twenty-one must go immedi- ately to town, and acquaint the women, etc., that the army was determined to march into town, but that they were coming in peace; that all stores and tav- erns should be shut, and no liquors sold to the men, but that if any refreshments were given by the in- habitants, it must be carried to the place where the men would halt on the commons; as also to procure all the craft and bring them to a certain part of the river in order to carry the men over the Mononga- hela. I was one of the first five who reached town; we first called on Major Butler, and informed him that the men were all marching into town, that they intended no harm either to him or the town, but only wished to show themselves, then march every man to his own home.

" We had scarce finished our instructions until the front appeared. I then rode to a place where I could see the length of the line. They marched in files, and in good order, leaving a small space in between each Battalion. They appeared to be upwards of two and a half miles long, and by the space of ground they took up there might be between five and six thousand, some said seven or eight thousand. A great number of people left them at Braddock's Field ; one Battalion from Westmoreland went from thence in a body."

The insurgent column (in reality numbering fully four thousand five hundred men) entered Pittsburgh at a little after twelve o'clock, and marching down the main street of the town (keeping out of sight of the fort) "halted at the large flat of ground opposite Maine house." The inhabitants were terror-stricken, but exerted themselves to the utmost to please their unwelcome guests, many of them setting before their doors tables covered with such refreshments as they had at command. The committee had ordered the

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 73

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