History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 28

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

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BRADDOCK'S EXPEDITION.

Sir William Pitt, then the Premier of England, persuaded the King to send Gen- eral Edward Braddock, an officer of distinc- tion in the English army, to this country to aid in driving the French from our western frontier. On February 20, 1755, Braddock landed at Alexandria, Virginia, with two regiments of British troops, commanded re- spectively by Colonels Dunbar and Halkett. George Washington volunteered to join the expedition as an aid on the general's staff. Several thousand provincial troops were ordered to be raised from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Meantime Sir John St. Clair visited York, Lancaster and Carlisle to ascertain the condition of affairs in this section of the country and find out the attitude of the people toward the expe- dition against Fort Duquesne. He met the commissioners, Croghan, Burd and Hoopes, in the Cumberland Valley and complained that the delay in the opening of the road across the mountains had proved of great disadvantage. He found fault with the Pennsylvania Assembly because the road had not already been opened. He did this when he discovered that the Quaker mem- bers of the Assembly were opposed to war and this opposition he believed had been disseminated among the Dunkards, Men- nonites and other German settlers both east and west of the Susquehanna. Feeling the responsibility of the duty to which he was entrusted by the English government he stormed like a lion and even declared to the commissioners that instead of marching against the French he " would in nine days march his army into Cumberland County, Pa., to cut the roads and press into use horses and wagons." This attitude of St. Clair toward the Pennsylvania settlements did not, however, meet the approval of Gen- eral Braddock, who had moved his troops to a place of rendezvous at Frederick, Mary- land. He reprimanded St. Clair for his audacious conduct and put himself in direct communication with the Assembly.

Benjamin Franklin, who was then the leading spirit in that body, and who had urged the Assembly to furnish money to carry on the war, held a confer- ence with Braddock and assured him that Pennsylvania had appropriated 5,000 pounds to support the army. There was a feeling in the Assembly that the English troops under Braddock should have landed at Philadelphia and moved westward through Pennsylvania. This was, in part, the cause of a lack of interest in the cam- paign by the Assembly. This was also a cause why Pennsylvania had not already matured plans to provide wagons and munitions of war for Braddock. Virginia and Maryland were expected to furnish the wagons, but these colonies had thus far ap- propriated very little money for the cam- paign against the French. Franklin now learned that Braddock had only twenty-five wagons to transport his stores and baggage across the Alleghany Mountains. He needed 150 wagons and Franklin came to York and Lancaster, and sent his son Wil- liam to Carlisle, for the purpose of procur- ing wagons and pack horses. He widely circulated copies of the following proclama- tion through York and the adjoining counties :

To the Inhabitants of the Counties of Lancaster, York and Cumberland.

Friends and Countrymen :

Having been at the camp at Frederick a few days since, I found the General and officers of the army ex- tremely exasperated on account of their not being sup- plied with horses and wagons, which had been expected from this province as most able to furnish them; but through the dissensions between our Governor and Assembly, money had not been provided nor any steps taken for that purpose.

It was proposed to send an armed force immediately into these counties, to seize as many of the best wagons and horses as should be wanted, and compel as many persons into the service as should be necessary to drive and take care of them.

I apprehended that the progress of a body of soldiers through these counties on such an occasion, especially considering the temper they are in, and their resentment against us, would be attended with many and great in- conveniences to the inhabitants ; and therefore more wil- lingly undertook the trouble of trying first what might be done by fair and equitable means.

The people of these back counties have lately com- plained to the Assembly that a sufficient currency was wanting : you have now an opportunity of receiving and dividing among you a very considerable sum; for if the service of this expedition should continue (as it's more than probable it will) for 120 days, the hire of these wagons and horses will amount to upwards of thirty thousand pounds, which will be paid you in silver and gold of the king's money.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

The service will be light and easy, for the army will scarcely march above 12 miles per day, and the wagons and baggage horses, as they carry those things that are absolutely necessary to the welfare of the army, must march with the army and no faster, and are, for the army's sake, always placed where they can be most secure, whether on march or in camp.

If you really are, as I believe you are, good and loyal subjects of His Majesty, you may now do a most ac- ceptable service, and make it easy to yourselves; for three or four such as cannot separately spare from the business of their plantations a wagon and four horses and a driver, may do it together, one furnishing the wagon, another one or two horses, and another the driver, and divide the pay proportionately between you. But if you do not this service to your king and country voluntarily, when such good pay and reasonable terms are offered you, your loyalty will be strongly suspected. The king's business must be done; so many brave troops come so far for your defence, must not stand idle through your backwardness to do what may reasonably be expected from you ; wagons and horses must be had ; violent measures will probably be used; and you will be compelled to seek for a recompense where you can find it, and your case perhaps be little pitied or regarded.

I have no particular interest in this affair; as (except the satisfaction of endeavoring to do good and prevent mischief) I shall have only my labor for my pains. If this method of obtaining the wagons and horses is not likely to succeed, I am obliged to send word to the General in fourteen days, and I suppose Sir John St. Clair, the Hussar, with a body of soldiers, will immedi- ately enter the province, of which I shall be sorry to hear, because

I am, very sincerely and truly,

Your friend and well-wisher, B. FRANKLIN.

About the same time Franklin wrote and circulated the following letter :

Lancaster, April 26, 1755.

Whereas 150 wagons with four horses to each wagon and 1,500 saddle or pack horses are wanted for the ser- vice of His Majesty's forces about to rendezvous at Will's Creek; and his Excellency, General Braddock, has been pleased to empower me to contract for the hire of the same; I hereby give notice that I shall attend for that purpose at Lancaster from this time till next Wednesday evening; and at York from next Thursday morning till Friday evening, where I shall be ready to agree for wagons and teams or single horses on the following terms, viz. :

Ist. That there shall be paid for each wagon with four good horses and a driver, fifteen shillings per diem; and for each able horse with a packsaddle or other sad- dle and furniture, two shillings per diem; for each able horse without a saddle, eighteen pence per diem.

2dly. That the pay commence from the time of their joining the forces at Will's Creek, (which must be on or before the twentieth of May ensuing) and that a reasonable allowance be made over and above for the time necessary for their traveling to Will's Creek and home again after their discharge.

3dly. Each wagon and team, and every saddle and pack horse is to be valued by indifferent persons, chosen between me and the owner, and in case of the loss of any wagon, team or other horse in the service, the price according to such valuation, is to be allowed and paid.

4thly. Seven days' pay is to be advanced and paid in hand by me to the owner of each wagon and team, or horse, at the time of contracting, if required; and the remainder to be paid by General Braddock, or by the paymaster of the army, at the time of their discharge, or from time to time as it shall be demanded.

5thly. No drivers of wagons, or persons taking care of the hired horses, are on any account to be called upon to do the duty of soldiers, or be otherwise em- ployed than in conducting or taking care of their car- riages and horses.

6thly. All oats, Indian corn or other forage, that wagons or horses bring to the camp more than is neces- sary for the subsistence of the horses is to be taken for the use of the army and a reasonable price paid for it.

Note. My son, William Franklin, is empowered to enter into like contracts with any person in Cumberland County.

B. FRANKLIN.

Nothing could have better answered the purpose intended than these documents. St. Clair had served in a Hussar regiment and wore a Hussar uniform on duty in America. Within two weeks 150 wagons and teams, and 259 pack horses were on their way to Braddock's headquarters. The owners said that they did not know Brad- dock, but would take Franklin's bond for payment, for the money would come from the amount lately appropriated by the Pennsylvania Assembly. Sir John St. Clair, the quartermaster, came to York and Car- lisle and procured 1,200 barrels of flour from the Cumberland and York County grist mills and had them conveyed to the headquarters of the army.

Late in the month of May,

Braddock's Braddock completed the or-

March ganization of his army at the

and present site of Cumberland,

Defeat. Maryland, and from that

point started on his expedition to Fort Duquesne in three divisions, num- bering in all 3,000 troops. St. Clair started from Cumberland with 600 men to cut the road and the army followed. Braddock ar- rived at Great Meadows, near Fort Ne- cessity, where he made a fortified camp and left Colonel Dunbar there with 800 men. The main army crossed the Monongahela River and was within ten miles of the fort when heavy firing was heard in the front. The attack was so sudden and the fire so galling that the advance guard fell back upon the main army, throwing it into confusion. The ranks were seized with terror and disorder prevailed. The officers, conspicuous by their uniforms and being mounted, were picked off by the accurate aim of the savages, so that there were soon very few of them to give commands. The regulars, unfamiliar with the Indian custom of fighting, huddled together like frightened

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FRENCH AND INDIAN . WAAR

sheep, while the orders of such officers as cipitate flight through Cumberland and had not fallen fell unheeded on their ears. York Counties to the eastern side of the river. Many of them crossed at the present site of Wrightsville. Braddock fumed with rage and flew from rank to rank. Every endeavor to force his men into position proved abortive. Four A large body of hostile Indians horses were shot under him, and mounting Hostile congregated on the Susque- a fifth he strained every nerve to retrieve Indians hanna, thirty miles above Har- Come ris' Ferry, now Harrisburg. Eastward. John Harris, on October 20, 1755, wrote to the Governor that hostile Indians lurked in the vicinity of Shamokin, now the site of Sunbury. He further stated that a messenger had arrived at his ferry and reported that two white set- his ebbing fortune. His subordinates gal- lantly supported his efforts, but the regulars could not be brought to charge. The better skilled provincials wanted to fight like the Indians did, from behind rocks and trees. Washington and Halkett appealed to Brad- dock for permission to do so, but he re- fused and with the flat of his sword drove tlers had been killed by hostile Indians of The the Conewago tribe, who carried away four women, the wives of settlers. This news brought consternation to the inhabitants of the upper end of what is now Dauphin County and the lower part of Cumberland. These inhabitants, he said, were fleeing across the Susquehanna into Lancaster County and the peaceable Indians around his ferry were excited by the movements of the white inhabitants, who were deserting their houses and crops in the field. The news of the threatened invasion from the upper Susquehanna region and also that hostile bands were moving through Cumn- berland County, spread dismay throughout every section of York County.

the provincials into the open road. army was soon completely routed, but Braddock would not yield. Strong in the point of discipline, his soldiers fell palsied with fear but without thought of craven flight. At last when every aide but Wash- ington was killed or wounded and most of the officers sacrificed, Braddock abandoned hope of victory and ordered a retreat. Just as he was about to give an order, a fatal bul- let felled him from his horse. His troops flying precipitately from the field aban- doned him. Not even the offer of gold de- terred them. Braddock, in disgust, re- signed himself to his fate. At last one of his aides, himself wounded, and two pro- vincial officers, managed to carry him from the field. Four days later he died and. was buried in the centre of the road which his army had cut and soldiers, horses and wagons passed over the grave to save the body from savage dishonor.

Colonel Dunbar, commanding the sur- vivors, after destroying his ammunition and most of his provisions, moved back to Cum- berland and later to Philadelphia, where he spent the winter.

The French and Indian war in America now took different form, and expeditions were sent for the reduction of French forts in Nova Scotia and later Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, in New York. During the following two years expeditions were carried on against Quebec and other points in Canada.

Meantime bands of hostile Indians who had formerly been friends of the settlers pressed into the Cumberland Valley from whence the white inhabitants fled in dismay east of the Susquehanna. The settlements at the Great Cove, in the extreme south- western part of the valley, now in Fulton County, were destroyed and the inhabitants killed or taken captive. After this startling event almost the entire Cumberland Valley, with its abundant crops, was deserted and the Scotch-Irish settlements at Marsh Creek, near the site of Gettysburg, became the frontier. The Indians, encouraged by their success, at the same time pushed their incursions into the northern part of Dauphin and Berks counties and even to the Delaware river in Northampton county. During this crisis of affairs in

The retreat of Colonel Dunbar to Phila- Excitement the province, the cold indiffer- delphia with the remnant of Braddock's in York ence of the Legislative As- army left the whole western frontier of County. sembly aroused the deepest indignation of the patriotic Pennsylvania unprotected. The inhabitants west of the Susquehanna then began pre- inhabitants of Pennsylvania. Public meet-

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ings had been held in York, Lancaster and Berks Counties for the purpose of petition- ing the Governor and the Assembly to aid them in preparing for an armed resistance. George Stevenson, who had been sent here in 1749 to take charge of the court records when York became a county seat, wrote to Richard Peters, at Philadelphia, the follow- ing letter, describing the condition of affairs in this region :

By the expresses which, I suppose, more than daily come to your hand from the frontier parts of this prov- ince, you can conceive the horror, confusion and dis- tress with which every breast is filled; all possible attempts have been made here to stockade the town, but in vain. On receipt of the Governor's summons, I dis- patched the sub-sheriff to David McConaughy's, know- ing that Captain Hance Hamilton was over the hills. I doubt he will not go down, his family and neighbors being in such consternation.

I am informed John and James Wright did not go. We have sent down a petition by the bearer signed in about a quarter of an hour. Whilst we were yet signing it, we received the express from John Harris, a copy of which we have sent to the Governor, together with a letter, five of us have made bold to write to him on this important subject. I beg you will use your influence with the Governor and Mr. Allen, to whom I made free to write two days ago.

On November 1, 1755, the following peti- tion was sent from York to Robert Hunter Morris, Governor of Pennsylvania :

We received sundry accounts lately, all concurring in this, that a numerous body of Indians and some French are in this province, which has put the inhabitants here in the greatest confusion, the principal of whom have met sundry times, and on examination find that many of us have neither arms nor ammunition.

Herewith we send a copy of an express just arrived from John Harris's Ferry, by way of James Anderson, with intelligence that the Indians are encamped up the Susquehanna within a two days' march of that place and it is probable, before this comes to hand, part of these back counties may be destroyed.

We believe there are men enough willing to bear arms and go out against the enemy, were they supplied with arms, ammunition and a reasonable allowance for their time, but without this, at least arms and ammunition, we fear little of purpose can be done.

If some measures are not speedily fallen upon, we must either sit at home till we are butchered without mercy or resistance, run away, or go out a confused multitude destitute of arms and ammunition and without discipline or proper officers, or any way fixed on to be supplied with provisions.

In short, we know not what to do, and have not much time to deliberate.

As the Company which goes from this town and parts adjacent, tomorrow, to the assistance of the inhabitants on our frontiers will take almost all our arms and ammunition with them, we humbly pray your honor to order us some arms and ammunition, otherwise we must desert our habitations.

We have sent the bearer express with this letter, and also a petition to the Assembly, which our people were signing when the express came to hand.

We humbly hope your honor will excuse this freedom,

which our distress has obliged us to use, and beg leave to subscribe ourselves,

Honored Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant, GEORGE STEVENSON, HERMAN UPDEGRAFF, THOMAS ARMOR, JAMES SMITH, JOHN ADLUM.

On November 5, George Stevenson wrote to Richard Peters :

We have sent fifty-three men, well equipped, from this town last Monday, 2 o'clock P. M., and a doctor, some medicines and what ammunition we could spare to Tobias Hendricks' to join the main body of English Tories on the most needful part of the frontiers. Mr. Adlum is with them. Captain Hance Hamilton is gone toward Conigogeeg last Sunday with a company. Rev. Andrew Bay with and at the head of another company. We are all aloft and such as have arms hold themselves ready, but also they are few in numbers. Forty men came here yesterday willing to defend, and had but three guns and no ammunition, and could get none here, therefore went home again; we are all here yet, how long God knows; six families fled from their homes, distance about fifteen miles, via Conewago, last night. The last came into town about daybreak this morning. A few of us have pledged our credit for public services ; if we are encouraged we will stand until we are cut off ; if not, some of us are bound to the lower parts of Maryland immediately, if not scalped by the way. Herewith you have another of our petitions to the Assembly, all I shall say about it is that the biggest part of its signers are Mennonites, who live about fifteen miles westward of York.

At this period of the war, the Catholic in- habitants of York, Cumberland and Lan- caster Counties were accused of entertain- ing sympathies with the French because both were of the same religious faith. There were then 189 German and Irish Catholics in York county under the pastoral care of Rev. Matthias Manners. Governor Morris, of Pennsylvania, hearing of the al- leged defection among the Catholics of York County and Frederick County, Maryland, sent emissaries to investigate the report. There is no evidence that any of these Catholics aided the French in this war.

York County Military

It was now decided by the au- thorities of the province to erect a chain of twenty-five forts along the eastern slopes

Companies. of the mountains from the Delaware River at Easton ex- tending in a southwestern direction to the Pennsylvania line at Cumberland, Mary- land, for all parts of the northwestern and western frontiers were now threatened by incursions from the hostile Indians and a few of the French. The organization of

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FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

militia companies was encouraged. Rich- ard Peters, secretary of the Province of Pennsylvania, in 1756 reports the following organized military companies in York County: Captain Isaac Saddler, Lieutenant Archibald McGrew, Ensign William Duf- field, and sixty private men; Captain Hugh Dunwoodie, Lieutenant Charles McMullen, Ensign James Smith and sixty private men ; Captain James Agnew, Lieutenant John Miller, Ensign Samuel Withrow and sixty private men; Captain David Hunter, Lieu- tenant John Correy, Ensign John Barnes and 100 private men ; Captain Samuel Gor- don, Lieutenant William Smiley, Ensign John Little and 100 private men: Captain Andrew Findley, Lieutenant William Gem- mill, of Hopewell Township, Ensign Moses Lawson and 106 private men; Captain Wil- liam Gibson. Lieutenant William Thomp- son, Ensign Casper Little and fifty private men; Captain Francis Holton, Lieutenant Joseph Ross, Ensign John McCall and 100 private men.

Fort Granville, which had been erected near the site of Lewistown, in the Juniata Valley, was guarded by Lieutenant Edward Armstrong and a small band of Pennsyl- vania soldiers. This fort was attacked July 22, 1756, when the commander and several of the soldiers were killed and a part of the garrison, including some women children, were taken across the Alleghany Mountains to Fort Kittanning, then the headquarters of the Delaware Indians.

and

Fort Kittanning was situated on the Alle- gheny River, about forty miles northwest of Pittsburg, where the town of Kittanning now stands. Immediately after Braddock's defeat, in. 1755, Hance Hamilton, the first sheriff of York County and one of the original settlers of Marsh Creek, organized a company and marched with it to the west- ern frontier of Cumberland County. After the completion of Fort Lyttleton, in the present limits of Bedford County, Captain Hamilton commanded the garrison at that place of defence. Other companies were then organized for active service by Rev. Thomas Barton, the rector of the Episcopal Church at York, Carlisle and York Springs ; Rev. Andrew Bay, pastor of the Presby- terian Church at Marsh Creek: Dr. David Jameson, physician at York, and Thomas Armour, one of the court justices.

Indians

On April 2, 1756, a band of hostile Indians attacked Mc-

Attack Cord's, Fort, situated on the

McCord's banks of the Conococheague, Fort. along the North Mountain, within the present area of Franklin County. This was a private fort where the settlers of the vicinity assembled for protection and safety. The Indians set fire to the fort and killed or carried into captivity all the occupants, twenty-seven in number. Captain Alexander Culbertson, of Cumberland County, Captain Benjamin Chambers, from the present area of Frank- lin County, and Captain Hance Hamilton, with a company from York County, de- termined to avenge this horrible deed by marching in pursuit of the Indians. Hamil- ton was then at Fort Granville. He sent nineteen of his men, under Ensign David Jameson, to join Culbertson's command, which now numbered about fifty men. Cul- bertson met the Indians at Sideling Hill. and a fierce conflict took place which lasted two hours, during which time Culbertson's men fired twenty-four rounds at the enemy. From the report given by an Indian who was captured, the savages lost seventeen killed and twenty-one captured. The loss among the provincial troops was nineteen killed and thirteen wounded. The names of the killed from Hamilton's company were Daniel McCoy, James Robinson, James Peace, John Blair, Henry Jones, John Mc- Carty, John Kelly, and the wounded were Ensign Jameson, James Robinson, William Hunter, Matthias Ganshorn, William Swailes, James Louder, who afterward died of his wounds.

On April 4. two days after the disaster at McCord's Fort, Captain Hance Hamilton wrote to Captain Potter. In this letter he stated that the report had come to him that Dr. Jameson was killed. He requested that word be sent at once to Fort Shirley for Dr. Hugh Mercer, afterwards a general in the Revolution, and Dr. Prentice, of Carlisle, to proceed at once to the scene of the disaster to take care of the wounded.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 28

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