History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 14

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 14
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 14
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 14

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No sooner had a defense been provided and a few other necessary works accomplished than the emigrants, true to New England principles, took steps for establishing local government. Silas Parks, who was the first justice of the peace, is be- lieved to have brought his eommission with him from Connecticut, which would naturally have been the case, for the colony had, prior to this time, as we have shown, extended her jurisdiction over the settlements in her charter limits. Parks, however, being found guilty of card- playing, which, according to Connecticut morals of a century ago, was a serions offense, was superseded in office by Uriah Chapman. John Killam was made constable and Capt. Zebulon Parrish "tithing man." The military com- mand devolved upon Capt. Eliab Varnum, whose lieutenant was Jonathan Haskell, and ensign, Elijah Winters.

That the Paupack settlers were men of ability and character appears clearly from the records of Westmoreland County, which, as we have seen, was erected by the General Court of Con- necticut, and included all of the Pennsylvania settlements. In proportion to population, as many men were elected to county offices and representative places iu the colonial govern- meut from Wallenpaupack, or " Lackawa," as from Wyoming, and they appear to have kept up a full and aetive town (or township) govern- ment from 1774 until brought under the do- minion of Pennsylvania law (except, of course, during the Revolution, when the settlement

was for a time abandoned). The most perfect equality existed throughout the settlement as to rights, privileges and property. The lands were disposed of, it is believed, by lot. The title of cach man to his land was the consent, and the proof of his title was the memory, of his neighbors.

Religion had a place iu the community from the start, and on Sundays it was the custom for the whole population to assemble and listen to the reading of a sermon. The observance of the Lord's Day was enforced with characteristic New England severity, and the morality and decorum of the settlers carefully insisted upon. The population was chiefly composed of Presby- terians.

The settlement enjoyed peace and prosperity from the time it was founded until a little before the Wyoming massacre of 1778, and after that suffered in common with all of the exposed frontier posts until the end of the Revolution.

During those few years of freedom from annoyance, either by white or savage foes, tlie various works of pioneer communities were carried on effectively, and the welfare of the people correspondingly enhaneed. The Susque- hanna and Delaware Companies had both eaused the greater portions of their purchases to be surveyed into towns or townships, and were en- gaged in furthering various schemes for their thorough colonization, which, however, the breaking out of the war effectually stopped.

In the Delaware Company's purchase about fifty townships, and perhaps more, were laid out, chiefly in what are now the counties of Wayne, Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Pike, but extending also southward into the present Monroe. These, as a rule, were about six miles square, and contained, therefore, approximately twenty-three thousand acres. Newry, Young, Scotland, New Haven, Faxon, Lycurgus,-in- cluding the site of Honesdale-Canonicus were wholly within the present limits of Wayne County, extending from north to south in the order named. South of Canonicus was Bozrah, which included lands now. divided by the Wayne and Pike County line. It was within this Connecticut town that the compact part of

1 See the succeeding chapter for an account of Indian hostilities at the Paupack settlement.

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the Wallenpaupack settlement was located. The other townships within what is now Wayne County, east of those named, were Columbia, Sassacus, Uncas, Huntington and Winslow. The townships of Monmouth, St. Patrick, Sims, Sedgwick, Griffin and Squanto were about equally divided by the line between Wayne County on one side and Susquehanna and Lackawanna upon the other. Pichegru lay southeast of Bozrah, in what is now Pike County, and Ulysses was east of Pichegru. Other townships in the present limits of Pike were Dollecurla and Scandebeg. The extreme southern ones in the Delaware purchase, of which any knowledge remains, were Wedder- burn and Thales, and these must have included lands now in Monroe County. The plan of these townships appears in an old "map of Westmoreland, shewing the Connecticut sur- veys." Strangely enough, it indicates no town- ships at all, along or in the immediate vicinity of the Delaware, though townships were un- doubtedly laid out there, one of them including Cushutunk. These townships were probably surveyed at several periods, as the Indian tem- per permitted, and it is very doubtful whether the map preserved is accurate as far as it goes, while it is certain that it is not complete. Sev- eral parties of surveyors were undoubtedly en- gaged at different times in the work. There remains little data concerning them, but front what we have, it can be authoritatively stated that John Curtius and one Peebody were the first.

That a township existed, variously known as " Laekawa," or " Lackaway " or " Lackawack," adjoining Bozrah, is eertain, yet it does not ap- pear on the map just alluded to. It was prob- ably east of the latter, and a part of the town- ship originally called Huntington.

The " Town of Westmoreland," which was practically co-extensive with Westmoreland County, was, on March 2, 1774, divided into election districts. At " a town-meeting," it was voted "that ye town of Westmore- land be divided into districts," which was accordingly done. The minutes, after exhibiting the fact that Wilkes-Barre was to constitute one entire distriet, and describing

five others-Hanover, Plymouth, Kingston, Pittston and North (Exeter and Providence) Districts,-show the provision " that Lackaway settlement and Blooming Grove and Sheolah be one district, and be called by ye name of ye Lackaway district ; and that Coshutunk and all ye settlements on Delaware be one district and joined to ye other districts, and known by ye name of ye East district."

As we have said, the few years preceding the Revolution were years of peace and comparative prosperity in the Connecticut settlements of Wyoming, Lackawa and Cushutunk, for the efforts of the Pennsylvanians had been re- laxed, as other interests claimed their attention. The power of the proprietaries, too, began to wane, as it became more and more clearly evi- dent that a rupture must occur between the mother-country and tlie colonies ; and, finally, the " Pennamite War," which had been waged vigorously for years, faded into insignificance in the darkening, portentous shadows which coming events cast before. During the Revo- lution these unhappy settlements were again the scenes of blood and carnage, of death and de- vastation, and their people (as we shall see in the next chapter) were placed at the mercy of a savage instead of a civilized enemy-the In- dians who were allied to the British. It was only after the great struggle was over that the lesser was resumed, again involving lieated con- troversy, bloodshed, State and inter-State legisla- tion and the intervention of Federal authority, and was finally legally settled after thirty years of more or less active strife.

CHAPTER VI.

Period of the Revolution and Second Indian War-Soldiers from Upper Northampton -- Fort Penn, at Stroudsburg- Massacre at Wyoming-" Shades of Death "-Sullivan's March-Battles of the Lackawaxen and Raymondskill -Indian Incursions and Murders from Cushutunk to Smithfield.

THE opening of the Revolutionary War found the people of the territory which is our province in this work enjoying an cra of peace and

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

prosperity broken only-and that in a slight measure-by the remote and occasional hos- tilities of the Pennamite contest. Most of the inhabitants of the integral portion of North- ampton, whieli is now Wayne, Pike and Mon- roe, lived in the two latter counties, and were quietly engaged in farming. But when the inexorable tide of events operating on public opinion showed that the crisis of war with the mother-country was inevitable, the martial and the patriotic spirit of these quiet and usually undemonstrative people was awakened, and their thoughts were given to the one absorb- ing topic of the times.

In 1774 the oppressions and exactions of the mother-country were becoming more and more odious to the people, and were acting as educators to prepare the colonists for the impending con- test, which, under Providence, was to result in their emancipation from foreign rule. Among the first of the measures taken in Pennsylvania to organize an opposition to the encroachments of the ministry on the people's liberties was the formation of a central Committee of Correspond- ence and Safety in Philadelphia, and of branch committees in most, if not all, of the several counties. The central committee assumed a general oversight of affairs through the prov- ince, and placed themselves in correspond- ence with the leading patriots of the different counties for that purpose.

The central committee advised the holding of local or county meetings and the appoint- ment of deputies to attend a meeting to be held in Philadelphia for the purpose of ex- pressing the thought of the province on the odious exactions of the mother government. This meeting was duly held at Carpenter's Hall, on Friday, July 15, 1774. Thomas Willing was made chairman, and Charles Thompson secretary, and among the resolutions passed were the following :

"U1. 1. That we acknowledge ourselves and the inhabitants of this Province liege subjects of His Majesty King George III., to whom they and we owe and will bear true and faithful allegiance.

"U. 2. That as the idea of an unconstitutional

independence of the parent state is utterly abhorrent to our principles, we view the unhappy differences between Great Britain and the Colonies with the deepest distress and anxiety of mind, as fruitless to her, grievous to us and destructive to the best inter- ests of both.

"U. 3. That it is, therefore, our ardent desire that our ancient harmony with the mother-country should be restored, and a perpetual love and union subsist between us, on the principles of the constitu- tion and an interchange of good offices, without the least infraction of our mutual rights.

"U. 4. That the inhabitants of these Colonies are entitled to the same rights and liberties within these Colonies that the subjects born in England are en- titled to within that realm.

"U. 5. That the power assumed by the Parliament of Great Britain, to bind the people of these Colonies, ' by statutes in all cases whatsoever,' is unconstitu- tional, and, therefore, the source of these unhappy differences.

"U. 6. That the act of Parliament for shutting up the port of Boston is unconstitutional ; oppressive to the inhabitants of that town; dangerous to the liberties of the British Colonies; and, therefore, that we consider our brethren at Boston as suffering in the common cause of these Colonies.

* * * *

* * *

"U. 9. That there is an absolute necessity that a Congress of deputies from the scveral colonies be immediately assembled to consult together and form a general plan of conduct to be observed by all the Colonies, for the purpose of proeuring relief for our suffering brethren, obtaining redress of our grievances, preventing future dissensions, firmly establishing our rights, and restoring harmony between Great Britain and her Colonies on a constitutional foundation.

* *

"U. 16. That this committee give instructions on the present situation of public affairs to their Repre- sentatives who are to meet next week in Assembly, and request them to appoint a proper number of persons to attend a congress of Deputies from the several Colonies, at such time and place as may be agreed upon, to effect one general plan of conduet for attaining the great and important ends mentioned in the ninth resolve."

In the Provincial Assembly, June 30tlı, it was " Resolved, that this House approves the Association entered into by the good people of this colony for the defense of their lives, liber- ties and property." And by the same body, on the 22d of July, on receipt of a report of the proceedings of the deputies, it was " Re- solved, that there is an absolute necessity that Congress of Deputies from the several a

1 The letter U thus placed before a resolution indicates that it was passed unanimously.

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THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

Colonies be held as soon as conveniently may be, to consult npon the nnhappy state of the Colonies, and to form a plan for the purpose of obtaining redress of American grievances, &c., and for establishing that nnion and harmony between Great Britain and the Colonies which is indispensably necessary to tlie welfare and happiness of both." The first-mentioned of these resolutions had reference to the fact that a Committee of Safety, consisting of twenty- five citizens, was appointed and authorized to call into actnal service snch number of the Associators as they might judge proper. Organ- izations of " Associators "1 were found in most, if not all, the counties. The committee organized July 3d by the choice of Benjamin Franklin, president. Congress, July 18th, recommended that all able-bodied, effective men between six- teen and fifty years of age should immediately form themselves into companies of militia, to consist of one captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, four sergeants, four corporals, one clerk, one drummer, one fifer and about sixty-eight privates; the companies to be formed into regiments or battalions, officered with a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, two majors and an adjutant or quartermaster ; all officers above the rank of cap- tain to be appointed by the provincial anthorities.

The feeling that existed in the province is shown by the expressions of the convention which was held in Philadelphia January 23-28, 1775. Following is an extraet from the reso- lutions adopted : " Bnt if the humble and loyal petition of said Congress to his most gracions Majesty should be disregarded, and the British administration, instead of redressing our griev- ances, should determine by force to effect a submission to the late arbitrary aets of the British Parliament, in such a situation we hold it our indispensable duty to resist such force, and at every hazard to defend the rights and liberties of America."

Northampton was represented in the conven- tion, which thus enunciated the independent

principles of the people, by George Taylor, John Oakley, Peter Kichline and Jacob Arndt.

On the 14th of June, 1775, Congress an- thorized the raising of six companies of expert riflemen in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland and two in Virginia, to join the army near Boston. On the 22d the " colony of Pennsylvania" was directed to raise two more companies, making eight in all, which were to be formed into a battalion. Lancaster County furnished two companies instead of one, and thus the bat- talion, which was commanded by Colonel Wil- liam Thompson, of Carlisle, was swollen to nine companies, viz .: Captain James Chambers' company, enlisted in that part of Cumberland which is now Franklin County ; Captain Robert Cinggage's company, enlisted chiefly in what is now Bedford Connty ; Captain William Hendricks' company, of Cninberland County ; Captain John Lowdon's company, enlisted at Northumberland ; Captain Abraham Miller's company, enlisted in Northampton County ; Captain George Nagel's company, enlisted at Reading, Berks Connty ; Captain James Ross' company, enlisted in Lancaster County ; and Captain Matthew Smith's company, enlisted in that part of Lancaster which is now Dauphin County. As we shall presently . show, there were in Captain Miller's company some men from north of the mountains.

The war that was to last seven years opened with the battle of Lexington upon the 19th of April, 1775, and the battle of Bunker Hill was fonght on the 17th of the following June. Washington was placed at the head of the army. Pennsylvania took prompt action toward rais- ing the fonr thousand three hundred men appor- tioned to the province, and made appropriations for their support. Northampton County was as fully aroused as any portion of the province, and quickly organized a company of soldiers, each man enlisting receiving a bounty of three pounds (eightdollars). This company, of whichi Thomas Craig was captain, was composed almost entirely of Northampton County men, and there were a few from north of the mountains whose names (so far as they can be distinguished) will be found in these pages.

1 The term " Associators " was adopted to designate those who subseribed to the test-oath of allegiance to the provin- eial government, as prescribed by resolution of Congress. Those who did not take this oath were called " Non-Asso- eiators."

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

After the evacuation of Boston by the British under Howe, in March, 1776, Washington, apprehending that New York was the objective point of the enemy, moved there with the whole of his army except a small force sufficient to garrison Boston. But his entire army was lamentably insufficient, and Congress resolved to reinforce the commander-in-chief with thir- teen thousand eight hundred militia, ten thou- sand of whom were to form the " Flying Camp." Of this militia, the quota of Pennsylvania was six thousand.

The matter of the quotas of Pennsylvania and of the different counties was also considered at the conference of the committees of the prov- ince, held at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, from June 18thi to the 25th, 1776, to which the delegates from Northampton County were Robert Levers, Colonel Neigel Gray, Jolın Wcitzel, David Deshler, Nicholas Depui and Benjamin Depui. At this session of the con- ference the following resolutions were passed concerning the organization of the troops:

" Resolved, unanimously, That this conference do recommend to the committees and associators of. this province to embody 4500 of the militia, which, with the 1500 men now in the pay of this province, will be the quota of this province, as required by Congress.

" Resolved, unanimously, That the 4500 militia re- commended to be raised be formed into six battalions, each battalion to be commanded by one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major ; the staff to consist of a chaplain, a surgeon, an adjutant, a quartermaster, and a surgeon's mate, and to have one surgeon-major, one quartermaster-sergeant, a drum-major, and a fife- major, and to be composed of nine companies, viz .: eight battalion companies, "to consist of a captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, four sergeants, four cor- porals, a drummer, a fifer, and sixty-six privates each, and one rifle company, to consist of a captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, one drummer, one fifer, and eighty privates."

The establishment of a permanent provincial government, and the holding of a convention for the purpose of forming the same, were also considered. A resolution was passed providing that all who were entitled to vote for represen- tatives in Assembly should be permitted to vote for delegates to the convention after taking the test-oath of allegianee (should it be required). The judges of election were vested with power

to administer the oath. Monday, the 8th of July, was appointed as the tinie for holding the election.

Northampton County was divided into four election districts, as follows :

The First District .- Easton, William, Lower Saucon, Bethlehem, Forks, Mount Bethel, Plainfield ; to be held at Easton.

The Second District .- Northampton, Salis- bury, Upper Saucon, Upper Milford, Macungie, Weisenberg, Lynn, Whitehall, Heidelberg; to be held at Allen's Town.

The Third District .- Allen, Moore, Chestnut Hill, Towamensing, Penn, Lehigh; to be held at Peter Anthony's.

The Fourth District .- Hamilton, Lower Smithfield, Delaware, Upper Smithfield ; to be held at Nicholas Depui's.

It will be observed that the greater part of the territory now included in Monroe and Pike Counties was within the Fourth District, and a small fraction in the Third.

When the news of the Declaration of Inde- pendence reached Easton it was determined to niake a public demonstration, which was accor- dingly done upon the 8th of July. Captain Abraham Labar's company paraded the streets, with fife and drum loudly resounding and colors flying, and the citizens assembled in the court-house to hear their townsman, Robert Levers, read the Declaration.

Easton and Bethlehem, it may be remarked, became active centres of war operations. Particularly was this true of the latter. The place was for some time a rendezvous for prom- inent military and civil leaders. Washing- ton, Lafayette, Pulaski, "Mad Anthony " Wayne, Sullivan and De Kalb were all there, and the latter once thought of fortifying the town. So also were John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, Henry Laurens, John Adams and a host of other statesmen of the Revolutionary period. Many prisoners were taken there and the town too became a huge hospital for the patriot soldiers.

But we must return to those matters which belong more especially to our province.

Of the soldiers who entered the field from the thinly-settled region of Northampton north

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THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

of the Blue Mountains, it is impossible to give the names of all; but such as we have been enabled, by careful search and the assistance of others, to single out from the companies of the county, we shall present.

Among the most distinguished patriots and soldiers of Northampton County were the Brodheads, Daniel and Luke, sons of the Daniel who won distinetion in the Indian war, and brothers of Charles Brodhead, who was also prominent in that struggle-and Daniel, Jr., (or 3d).

Daniel Brodhead had indeed become a resi- dent of Berks County before the outbreak of the Revolution, but that faet does not form a reason why his name should be omitted in this eon- neetion. He was commissioned a lieutenant- colonel in the summer of 1776, and on the 4th of July was ordered by the Committee of Safety of Philadelphia to proceed with one battalion of five hundred men to Bordentown, N. J., to be employed agreeable to a requisition of the " Honorable the Continental Congress." He was in most of the battles fought by Washington's army until 1778, when, then being colonel of the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, he was transferred by General Washington to the com- mand of the Western Department. He had headquarters at Fort Pitt and his command was in almost constant struggle with the Indian allies of the British until the close of the war.

His patriotism at the opening of the war is attested by the following letter to Nieholas Depui.

"SPRING MILL, 28th January, 1776.

" Dear Nicky :

"I suppose you have before now heard that at the late appointment of the Field officers, I had nearly been appointed Col' of one of the Battalions in this Province, from which you will judge that I have an inclination to go in Defence of our country, and I am assured that whenever other Battalions arc to be raised I 'shall be appointed to that important com- mand, and tho' not so well Qualified for the under- taking as I could wish, yet iny attachment to the Glorious cause we are engaged in is such that I am Determined to neglect nothing that may tend to im- prove my knowledge in the military way. If it had not been owing to my own diffidence and the good opinion I entertained of the Gent. who have been appointed, I am confident I might have been appointed then. When we are blessed with con-

nexions and the means of being Happy at Home, it at first thoughit seems Hard to break up that Repose, but when the Dye is cast and no choice left us but the Horrid alternative of arms or chains, I think we can't hesitate a moment which to choose.

My Daniel, eldest, is appointed first Lieut. in Col1 Sheas' Battallion, in Capt. Boyler's company. The Capt. and him will pay you a visit very soon and should be obliged to you for all the assistance in your Power to get a number of Good Soldiers.

"I am, Dear Nicky, your Affect. Brother, " DANIEL BRODHEAD."

Luke Brodhead entered the First American Rifle Regiment (Abraham Miller's company), under command of Colonel William Thompson, which marehed direet to Boston, and he distin- tinguished himself as a brave and intrepid soldier. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in Colonel Samuel Miles' rifle regiment and was severely wounded at the battle of Long Island, and made a prisoner. After his return from captivity he became a captain in the Sixth Pennsylvania (February 15, 1777) and retired June 21, 1778, having participated in the actions at Short Hills, the Brandywine and Germantown.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 14

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438