History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 10

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372

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The paper transmitted with this letter is as follows: "Sir: The oppression and ill usage we have met with from the govern- ment of Maryland, or at least from such persons who have been impowered thereby and their proceedings connived at, has been a treatment (as we are well informed) very different from that which the tenants of your government have generally met with, which, with many other cogent reasons, give us good cause to conclude the Gover- nor and magistrates of that province do not themselves believe us to be settled within the real bounds of his Lordship's dominions,

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA .

but we have been seduced and made use of, together on the report that an armed force first by fair promises and afterward by threats and punishments, to answer pur- poses which are at present unjustifiable and will, if pursued, tend to our utter ruin. We, therefore, the subscribers, with many others, our neighbors, being become at last truly sensible of the wrong we have done the proprietors of Pennsylvania in settling on their lands without paying obedience to their government, do resolve to return to our duty, and live under the laws and gov- ernment of Pennsylvania, in which province we believe ourselves seated. To this we unanimously resolve to adhere, till the con- trary shall be determined by a legal deci- sion of the disputed bounds, and our honest and just intentions we desire may be com- municated to the Governor of Maryland, or whom else it may concern. Signed with our hands this eleventh day of August, Anno Domini, 1736."

There was read at the meeting of the Council on

The Invasion of the the 7th of September, the Three Hundred. examination of Francis Kipps, of Maryland, mas-

ter of a sloop then lying in Susque- hanna River. taken September 4, 1736.

That on Thursday last, the 111- stant, in the evening, being in Bal- timore County, he saw Col. Hall, a gentleman of that county; at the head of a considerable number of men on horseback armed with guns, marching toward the up- per part of the said county, that passing near to Col. Hall, he asked him familiarly if he was going to fight, to which Hall an- swered he was going on peaceable terms. That crossing Susquehanna, near the Northeast Iron Works, he came the same evening into Cecil County, where he under- stood by common report that the march of these men, under Col. Hall, was to give possession to one Cresap of a plantation of one Wright; that if the same could not be done peaceably they were to use force. That he heard the militia of Cecil County were summoned to meet together. On the 8th of September, the Governor laid before the Board a letter, written by the direction of Samuel Blunston, giving the following account :

That after the Sheriff of Lancaster, and some people with him, who were gathered

from Maryland was coming up into those parts, had waited some time and were dis- persed, the Sheriff of Baltimore County, with upward of 200 men, under the com- mand of several military officers, arrived on Saturday night last, the 4th of this month, at Thomas Cresap's, and on Sunday, about noon, came in arms on horseback, with beat of drum and sound of trumpet, to the plantation of John Hendricks. The Sheriff of Baltimore, and several of those officers went that afternoon to the house of John Wright, Jr., now the site of Wrightsville, where about thirty inhabitants of Lancaster were assembled, and demanded the Ger- mans, of whom some were then in that house. The Sheriff of Lancaster had sent a written message desiring to know the reason of their coming in that hostile man- ner to threaten the peace of the province, to which they had returned answer that they were not come to disturb the peace of the province of Pennsylvania but to sup- press riots, and keep the peace of Baltimore County. Justice Guest, one of the number from Maryland, appointed 10 o'clock next day to speak with some of our people, but about 5 o'clock on Sunday evening, the multitude from Maryland left Hendricks with great precipitation, and returned to Cresap's. On Monday the Sheriff of Lan- caster sent another message in writing, re- quiring them to peaceably depart, and offer- ing, if any of them would meet the magis- trates of the county with some other per- sons, who were on this occasion assembled with him, and endeavor amicably to settle the unhappy differences at present subsist- ing, that they should be received civilly. To this message the Sheriff of Lancaster had returned to him a threatening and inso- lent answer. Soon after this one John Wilkins, an inhabitant of Lancaster County, who had gone down toward Cresap's, was taken prisoner on pretense of his having been in a former riot, and sent under a guard to Maryland. The magistrates of Lancaster sent a letter to reclaim him, but they refused to receive the letter. It was reported that the Governor of Maryland was waiting in Baltimore County, and was expected up in those parts, on Susquehanna, with considerable more force. The Sheriff of Lancaster had got about 150 people to-

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gether at John Wright's, Jr., where they panies which came up from Maryland, with had continued since Sunday evening. No drums beating and trumpets sounding, were mustering or exercising in the field of the same plantation, from whence, upon the appearance of some men in flats coming over the river from the other side, the troops returned to Thomas Cresap's. (I Archives, 519.) hostilities had been yet committed, except in taking Wilkins ; but the Marylanders had sent word to our people to take care of their buffs. The inhabitants, though unprovided with arms and ammunition, yet endeavored to defend themselves and such of his Ma- jesty's peaceable subjects as fled from their houses to them for refuge. (IV Col. Rec., 63.)

Benjamin Chambers deposed that some time in the month of September, 1736, prep- arations were making by training and mustering the militia of Baltimore County, MId., in order for their marching into Lan- caster County to dispossess of their settle- ments sundry families. Benjamin Cham- bers was the founder of Chambersburg, then being twenty-three years of age. These depositions were taken under the authority of the Provincial Council, and were transmitted to the agent of the prov- ince in London, in support to the petition to his Majesty. He was employed by the magistrates to go into Baltimore County to discover what was intended by the extra- ordinary motion of their troops. When he came to the borders of Maryland, he was informed that the place of their muster was near the plantation of Col. Nathaniel Rigby, at the upper part of Baltimore County, and repaired thither. He was taken into cus- tody and kept during the time of the mus- ter, and held twelve hours, in which he observed a general discontent among the common soldiers. Col. Rigby called for the muster roll, and upbraided the men with want of duty to the Governor's orders, and thereupon picked off a number of them out of his company, and commanded them. on the penalty of £50, to meet at the same place next Friday with arms and twenty charges of powder and balls each man, to march up Susquehanna River to a place called Conejohela, where East Prospect borough now stands. Col. Rigby said it was very strange that a Quaker govern- ment should offer to resist or oppose Lord Baltimore, for that his Lordship's province of Maryland extended six miles higher or more northward than the plantation of John Hendricks, which lies on the west side of the said river, where on the Sunday fol- lowing he saw the several troops or com-

Robert Barber, one of the people called Quakers, affirmed on the IIth of Septem- ber, that on Sunday last several of the in- habitants of the province of Maryland, to the number of about 300, all armed in a hostile manner, under the command of sev- eral officers of the militia of Maryland, with beat of drum and sound of trumpet. marched up to the house of John Hen- dricks. (This house was a short distance west of the site of Wrightsville.) Some of the magistrates of the county of Lancaster. being at the house of John Wright, Jr., a small distance from the said Hendrick's house, demanded of Col. Edward Hall, who was said to be the commanding officer, the reason of his and the said company's com- ing up there in so hostile a manner. Col. Hall told the magistrates that they had no orders to treat with any of the magistrates of Lancaster County; that it was by the Governor of Maryland's order they came up there, and that thirteen companies of militia of Maryland were mustered, and that twenty men with officers were taken out of each company, and he refused to give any further account. That several of the inhab- itants came to the magistrates very much terrified and complained that some of the aforesaid company of armed men had forcibly broken into their houses and threatened to burn them, and took from them several pieces of linen.

John Ross deposed that he was dis- patched with a written message to the Sheriff of Baltimore County, who was said to have come up with the militia, to know the meaning of this extraordinary proced- ure of the people of Maryland, and setting forward, with James Patterson for his guide, he met, within a mile and a half of Wright's house, a body of men on horse- back to the number of about 300, armed with guns, cutlasses, and some with pistols, marching with beat of drum and sound of trumpet. He saw several persons, who were called officers of this militia, or com-

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

manders, whose names he afterward learned whom a reward was offered by proclama- were Edward Hall and Nathaniel Rigby, tion. The people of Lancaster County, who were met at Wright's house, being grown numerous, and resolving to stand upon their defense, the militia of Maryland did not think fit to attack them, but sep- arated in two bodies, one of which went with the sheriff to the houses of some Ger- mans, where they took some linen and pew- ter on pretense of public dues owing to the government of Maryland. The other body went toward Maryland. (I Archives, 525.) called Colonels, and Peca and Guest, called Captains. William Hammond, Sheriff of Baltimore County, was with them. He de- livered his message to Col. Rigby, who ap- peared to be the principal person; Rigby told him they were marching forward to the house of John Wright. Thomas Cresap, who was with the militia, seized Patterson, telling the Sheriff of Baltimore that he was a £50 chap, and bid the sheriff look in the proclamation and he would find Patterson's name there. The militia, marching on with beat of drum and sound of trumpet in a war-like manner, came to the plantation of John Hendricks, and sent a message in writing to the Sheriff of Lancaster. Some of the militia officers came to Wright's house and desired to speak with some Ger- mans, Michael Tanner and Peter Gardner. But these people, declaring their appre- hensions that the Marylanders were come to carry them away, because they would not acknowledge the jurisdiction of Mary- land in those parts where they were settled, the officers were told they could not see them. But the Germans sent a message to them in writing. Ross went to the house of Hendricks after the militia was come there, and saw several of them with their swords drawn at the door of the house.

Toward evening a considerable number of people, of Lancaster County, came over the river in three flats, whereupon the mili- tia of Maryland beat their drum, and, as he believed, intended to stand to their arms, for they marched toward the river in a body, but after firing a blunderbuss, they thought fit to retreat to the house of Thomas Cresap. The Sheriff and Col. Rigby refused to meet the magistrates of Lancaster in conference. Ross saw several of the militia cutting bars of lead and making bullets, and, enquiring what use they intended for them, he was told they were to shoot Pennsylvanians. The militia of Maryland marched about noon to the houses of Joshua Minshall, Mark Evans, and Bernard Weymont. One of the militia found means to decoy one John Wilkins, an inhabitant of Lancaster County, who was seized and carried to Cresap's, from whence they sent him, bound, under a guard, to Maryland. It was pretended Wilkins was one of those for

Daniel Southerland deposed that he was at the house of Thomas Cresap, when the 300 men who came up from Maryland were there. That the men who were called the soldiers blamed Cresap very much for the disturbances that had happened in those parts, and they did not think they were obliged to go fight with the people of Penn- sylvania in Cresap's behalf. To which Cresap swore, and said that they were only afraid of their mothers' calf skins, and that it was Lord Baltimore's right he was main- taining, and he disregarded all of them, for he had the Governor of Maryland's orders for what he did. Cresap called Col. Hall, who commanded the 300 militia from Mary- land, a coward for not suffering him to fire with a blunderbuss upon the people of Pennsylvania, who were coming over the river in a flat toward the Marylanders, who were in arms. He affirmed that Lord Bal- timore would soon be over in Maryland, and then he would drive all the Pennsyl- vanians to the devil, and the court in Phila- delphia would be called in Lord Baltimore's name.

The invasion of the 300 of the Maryland militia is a remarkable incident of the bor- der troubles. It was made after consider- able preparation. William Hammond, the sheriff of Baltimore County, declared "that the people of Baltimore County are not come to disturb the peace of the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, but to assist and support me in preserving his Lordship's peace, and our fellow tenants, his Majesty's subjects, in their possessions." Yet, before leaving, they despoiled the houses of the Germans on pretense of public dues. They also threatened to burn them. Michael Tanner talked with them, and they promised, if the Germans would return, a remission of their taxes till they were grown better able to

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pay, and that they should be better used for the future. Tanner was to give an answer for his countrymen in two weeks, "but, at the end thereof, it was threatened, if they did not comply, the Governor would come "in their place. up with a greater number of armed men, turn them out of doors, and bring up others with them, such as would be true to him, whom he would put into their possessions." (IV Col. Rec .. 69.)

In the course of the proceedings there was an answer of the Germans to the Gov- ernor of Maryland, in which, among other things. it is said: "that being greatly op- pressed in their native country, principally on account of their religion, they resolved, as many others had done before, to fly from it. That, hearing much of the justice and mildness of the government of Pennsylva- nia, they embarked in Holland for Phila- delphia, where, on their arrival, they swore allegiance to King George, and fidelity to the proprietors of Pennsylvania, and their government. That, repairing to the great body of their countrymen settled in the county of Lancaster, on the east side of the Susquehanna, they found the lands there generally taken up and possessed, and therefore some of them, by licenses from the proprietors of Pennsylvania, went over that river, and settled there under their authority, and others, according to a com- mon practice then obtaining, sat down with a resolution to comply as others should with the terms of the government when called on, but they had not been long there

thing whatever to claim by, and as any of those who came to survey were obliged or otherwise they, at their own will and pleas- ure, turned the possessors off and put others Now, this being our case, that on the one hand we are per- suaded in our consciences we are clearly within the Province of Pennsylvania, and therefore cannot but expect to lose our possessions and improvements, if we now pretend to hold them under the Lord Bal- timore, and, on the other hand, from the military force lately sent against us from Maryland, we are threatened to be treated by that government like rebels and enemies to our Gracious Sovereign, King George, to whom we have sworn allegiance, if we do not, against those manifest convictions of our consciences disown the right of the proprietors of Pennsylvania to what we truly believe belongs to them, and resist the authority of that government, which, were we resolved to do, yet we should not be able. We offer it to the Governor's consid- eration whether the treating of a parcel of conscientious, industrious, and peaceable people, like rebels, for no other reason than because we cannot own a jurisdiction within the limits of which we very well know we cannot, where we now are, possi- bly be seated, and because we are convinced of the mistakes we had been fully led into by the false assertions of persons of no credit." (I Archives. 492.)

A petition, signed by forty-

Petition of eight Germans, was trans-

till some pretending authority from the the Germans. mitted to the President and government of Maryland, insisted on it, Council at Philadelphia, ask- ing that their errors in settling under the government of Maryland be imputed to want of better information, and praying to be received under the protection of our laws and government, whereupon the Board unanimously declared that those German people be received under the protection of this government, and encouraged in their fidelity to it by all proper and prudent measures. And on the 17th of September. 1736, they issued a proclamation setting forth the late invasion from Maryland, in violation of his Majesty's peace, and just rights of the proprietors and people of this province, to the great terror of the inhab- itants, and directing the sheriffs of the re- spective counties of the province. and par- that that country was in that province, and partly by threats of actual force, and partly by very large promises, they had been led to submit to the commands of that govern- ment. That first one Morris Roberts, pre- tending to be a deputy surveyor under Maryland, came and run out lands for them, after which Cresap told them those surveys were not valid, but that he had authority to lay them. out: then one Franklin (who took pay of them, but it proved all a sham, for he understood nothing of the surveyor's art.) Yet, notwithstanding all these im- positions, they had neither grant nor war- rant. nor would any of those surveyors, real or pretended, give them one line of a cer- tificate, plot or draught, nor had they any-

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ticularly of Lancaster, where these late answer your letter we have waited not only commotions had happened, to hold them- till we could hear of the event of the military selves in readiness with the posse of their respective counties for the preservation of his Majesty's peace and the defense of the" just rights and possessions of his subjects within the same. (I Archives, 71.)

The following paper was also presented :

Whereas, we, the subscribers, are informed it has been asserted that the late resolutions of the Dutch in- habitants on the west side of Susquehanna River, to put themselves under the protection of the government of Pennsylvania and submit to the laws thereof, was oc- casioned by the prevalency and influence of the magis- trates of Lancaster County, Do voluntarily and solemnly declare that we were chosen and appointed by the afore- said Dutch inhabitants on the west side of Susquehanna River, opposite to Hempfield, to apply in our own and their behalf to the magistrates of the said county, that we might be received as subjects of this government, as we believed in our consciences it was our duty; and we do further solemnly declare and affirm that this associa- tion and return was made of theirs and our own mere motion and free will, without any previous persuasion, threatening or compulsion from the magistrates of the said county, or any other person in their behalf, so far as we know; and that the letter signed by the in- habitants aforesaid to be communicated to the Governor of Maryland, was written at their own request and ac- cording to the instructions given.

Subscribed the 13th day of Sept., 1736. Henry Hendricks, Michael Tanner.

In the letter from President Logan, of Pennsylvania, written by direction of the Council, September 18, 1736, to Governor Ogle, it is said: "And first we must observe you are pleased to say, these people impor- tuned you for the grant of lands, under the authority and government of the Lord Pro- prietor of Maryland, but the success you mention they were favored with consisted, not, it seems, from your words, in any grant of lands, but in your directions only that they should settle and improve the lands under the government of that province, so that all they obtained by this was that they should acknowledge the jurisdiction of Maryland over lands on which we find divers of them had entered by authority of the Land Office of Pennsylvania, and as subject to its government, paid their levies to the county of Lancaster, wherein they had been seated, and to which it is impos- sible Lord Baltimore either can or ever could justly pretend any manner of right. The real merit, therefore, of this it seems, consists in putting them on transferring their obedience from their rightful landlord to another. to whom they stood in no rela- tion. That we might be the better able to

expedition of your forces of about 300 men in arms, sent up, 'tis said, against those people, and for some other unjustifiable pur- poses, but also that we might with more certainty be informed from whence these settlers were, and how and when their set- tlements had been made. On the last of these we find that they are generally of those Palatines, who a very few years since transported themselves from Holland to Philadelphia, and made themselves subjects to his Majesty, King George II, under this government ; and 'tis affirmed, they were so far from importuning you for any grant of lands that they were, by very indirect prac- tices of some emissaries or agents, pretend- ing authority from Maryland, seduced from their duty, and imposed on to believe they were situated within the limits of the Lord Baltimore's jurisdiction, but what applica- tions such persons might make in their names we know not. Your pro- ceeding, in sending up such an armed force on this occasion and their invading the pos- session of others, where you never had the least pretense of claim, either in law or equity, must indeed prove astonishing to every man who hears of it, and has any just notion of the English laws, and the privi- leges of an English subject ; but as we shall not here enter into any expostulation on that head (tho' we might properly ask where five or six men going without any manner of arms, or so much as a stick, in their hands, into Maryland, to try their challengers' prowess at boxing, was twice in a certain letter called levying war, what terms you would think fit to bestow on this march of such numbers so accoutered?) We think it incumbent on us to acquaint you, that as we are assured the government of Pennsylvania is vested with equal or like powers with that of Maryland, though it has hitherto with great patience waited for the decision of the grand dispute in Britain, which it is manifest your Lord Proprietor endeavors to delay, yet now, on so flagrant an insult as this last step of yours, we can- not but think ourselves obliged to put his Majesty's subjects under our care, on meas- ures to prevent the like invasions for the future. For this province, especially those parts, are filled with people of more spirit

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than to brook suchi treatment, and if any mischief ensues on their opposition to your attacks, you cannot but well know who must be accountable for it. But further, while all these contentions are owing solely to your own projections to carry your Lord Proprietor's pretensions into lands that not only never had been in possession, but can- not possibly fall within Maryland, and for which, for ending all disputes, he had in the most solemn manner renounced all claim to, and to set these pretensions first on foot at a time when the execution of the agree- ment was in agitation, and to continue them while the whole affair is under the cogni- zance of that high court, the Chancery of Great Britain, these we say, carry with them such accumulated aggravations and are so far from admitting the possibility of a justi- fication by color or varnish of words what- ever, that none but your enemies can be pleased with such conduct." (IV Col. Rec., · 78. )

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 10

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1372

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372