History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 31

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

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Immediately after the receipt of the news from Congress asking for troops from west of the Susquehanna, recruiting began at York, in the lower end of York county, in the Monaghan settlement around the pres- ent. site of Dillsburg, at Hanover, and in the Marsh Creek country around the site of Gettysburg. In a short time two com- panies were organized. One of these com- panies was commanded by Captain David Grier, a member of the bar. who had been admitted to the practice of law at York in 1771. The other was commanded by Cap- tain Moses McClean, son of Archibald Mc- Clean, a noted surveyor of York who had assisted in running Mason and Dixon's line.

Colonel Irvine's command, known in his- tory as the Sixth Pennsylvania battalion, was organized at Carlisle in March, 1776. On the 22d of that month Colonel Irvine wrote to John Hancock, President of Con- gress :

"I am honored with your orders to march my battalion to New York, which shall be complied with, with all possible expedition. Many of the arms are old, and want bay- onets and repairs. However, I shall not wait for bayonets. as I hope to be supplied at Philadelphia or New York. I have been obliged to purchase many rifles, but I pre- sume they may be changed for muskets, should the service require it: knapsacks. haversacks, canteens, and many other ne- cessaries which the commissioners promised to forward for my battalion, have not yet come to hand. Though I do not mean to wait for them, yet I think it proper to ac- quaint you, as perhaps your further orders may be necessary.'

A few days later Colonel Irvine left Car- lisle with his battalion for the Canada cam- paign. His command numbered 780 men. The captains of the eight different com- panies comprising this battalion were: David Grier, Moses McClean, Samuel Hay. Robert Adams, Abraham Smith, William Rippey, James A. Wilson and Jeremiah Talbott.

Join

The Sixth Battalion under Colo- nel Irvine arrived at Albany

Sullivan's May 10, where it joined a part Command. of Wayne's battalion from Chester county. These troops proceeded to Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain, where they embarked with Gen- eral John Sullivan for St. John's. Here they joined the Pennsylvania and other troops, all of which were placed under com- mand of General John Sullivan, a native of Maine, who had held a command under Washington at the siege of Boston. He was one of the eight brigadier generals first commissioned by Congress at Philadelphia. On June 2 he took command of the northern army on the borders of Canada, succeeding General Thomas, of Massachusetts, who had died of smallpox near Montreal. Wil- liam Thompson, who had been promoted from the command of his battalion of Penn- sylvania riflemen to the rank of brigadier general, had been ordered from Boston in April, 1776, to reinforce General Thomas with four regiments which were afterward increased to ten. He met the northern army on its retreat from Quebec and as- stimed the chief command when General Thomas was sick, yielding it up on June 4, to General Sullivan, by whose orders two days later he made a disastrous attack on the enemy at Three Rivers.

BATTLE OF THREE RIVERS.

The story of the battle of Three Rivers is best told in a letter written by Lieutenant Colonel Hartley, of York, to his personal friend. Jasper Yeates, of Lancaster. This letter dated at the camp at Sorel, three days after the battle. June 12, 1776, reads as fol- lows :

"Before the arrival of Colonel Wayne's and Irvine's regiments under the command In accordance with a resolution of Con- gress each company was to be composed of sixty-eight men, one captain, one lieutenant. of General Sullivan. Colonel St. Clair, with

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

a detachment of seven hundred men, was difficulties we were to surmount in the mire, sent down the river St. Lawrence about otherwise the way by the shipping would have been preferred. nine leagues, to watch the motions of the enemy and act occasionally. General Sul- "We waded three hours in the mud about mid-deep in general, the men fasting. We every moment expected to get through and find some good ground to form on, but were deceived. The second division under Colo- nel Anthony Wayne, saw a part of the enemy and attacked them. Captain Saniuel Hay of our regiment (Sixth battalion), with his company of riflemen, assisted and be- haved nobly. Colonel Wayne advanced, the enemy's light infantry were driven from their ground and the Indians in their flanks were silenced. livan's arrival here was at a critical time. Canada was lost. unless some notable exer- tion was made; the credit of our arms gone and no large number of our American troops to sustain our posts. It was said that the taking of Three Rivers, with such troops as were on it would be of service. A detachment under General Thompson was sent down the river. The corps under Colo- nel St. Clair was to join it, and if the Gen- eral thought it expedient, he was ordered by Sullivan to attack the enemy at Three Rivers.

"We left this on the evening of the 5th A Furious which we knew nothing of,

instant in several batteaux and joined St. Clair about twelve o'clock at night. It be- ing too late to proceed on to Three Rivers the enterprise was postponed until the next night.

"In the dusk of the evening of the 7th we set off from the Nicolette with about fifteen hundred rank and file besides officers. It was intended to attack Three Rivers about daybreak in four places. Thompson landed his forces about nine miles above the town on the north side of the St. Lawrence, and divided his army into five divisions, Max- well, St. Clair, Wayne and Irvine each com- manding a division, and I had the honor of commanding the reserve. Leaving two companies from York county advanced with hundred and fifty men to guard the bat- teaux, the army proceeded swiftly towards the town. I was to be ready to sustain the party which might need assistance.

"The guards proved faithless and the "Not a man of McClean's company be- General was misinformed as to the number haved badly; Grier's company behaved well. of the enemy as well as to the situation of the town. Our men had lost their sleep for two nights, yet were in pretty good spirits. Daylight appeared and showed us to the covering, no artillery, and no prospect of enemy. Our guides (perhaps traitors ) had led us through windings, and were rather carrying us off from the post. The General was enraged at their conduct.

"There were mutual firings. Our people killed some in a barge. Our scheme was no longer an enterprise. It might have been prudent perhaps to retreat but no one would propose it. We endeavored to pene- trate through a swamp to the town and avoid the shipping. We had no idea of the

"The great body of the enemy,

Fire. consisting of two or three thou-

sand men, covered with en- trenchments, and assisted with the cannon of the shipping and several field pieces, be- gan a furious fire and continued it upon our troops in the front. It was so heavy that the division gave way, and from the badness of the ground could not form suddenly again. St. Clair's division advanced but the fire was too heavy. Part of Irvine's divi- sion, especially the riflemen, went up to- wards the enemy. I understood the army was in confusion. I consulted some friends and led up the reserve within a short dis- tance of the enemy. McClean's and Grier's

spirit ; McClean's men took the best situa- tion, and within eighty yards of the enemy exposed to the fire of the shipping as hot as hell. I experienced some of it.

Several of the enemy were killed in the at- tack of the reserve. Under the disadvan- tages, our men would fight; but we had no succeeding, as the number of the enemy was so much superior to ours. Wayne and Allen rallied part of our men, and kept up a fire against the English from the swamp. The enemy, in the meantime, dispatched a strong body to cut off our retreat to the boats, when it was thought expedient to retreat. Our General and Colonel Irvine were not to be found; they had both gone up to the front in a very heavy fire. This gave us great uneasiness but a retreat was neces-

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THE REVOLUTION

sary. This could not be done regularly, as ing every difficulty, we got up, crossed the we could not regain the road on account of river and arrived at Sorel, Monday after- noon, June 10. We brought nearly twelve hundred inen back with our party. Many are yet missing, one hundred and fifty or two hundred. Some scattered ones are continually coming in so that our loss will not be so great as was first imagined. the enemy's shipping and artillery, and went off in small parties through the swamp. Wayne and Allen gathered some hundreds together and I got as many in my division as I could, with several others amounting to upwards of two hundred.

"Wayne with his party, and I with mine, tried several ways to get to our batteaux. Wayne was obliged, not far from the river, to march by seven hundred of the enemy. He intended to attack them, but his men were so much fatigued that it was deemed unsafe. The enemy fired their small arms and artillery on our men as loud as thunder. "Colonel Wayne behaved exceedingly well and showed himself a man of courage and a true soldier. Colonel Allen exerted himself and is a fine fellow. Colonel Max- well was often in the midst of danger. His own division was not present to support him. He was also very useful in the re- treat after he joined Wayne. Lieutenant They returned a retreating fire. Several of Edie, of the York troops, I fear is killed. the enemy were killed and wounded. We He was a fine young fellow and behaved came within a mile of where our boats were, bravely. He approached the enemy's works

but our guard had carried them off. The English had possession of the ground where in the swamp to the last. He was in the we landed. Their shipping proceeded up the river, covering parties being sent to take possession of the ferries we were to pass.

"Wayne with his party lay near the enemy. I passed through a big swamp and at night took possession of a hill near the enemy. We were without food and the water very bad. I mounted a small quarter guard, fixed my alarm post, and made every man lie down on the ground, on which he was to rise for action in case of an attack. I slept a little by resting my head on a cold bough of spruce.

"Morning dawned (Sunday, June 9), and I consulted our officers and men. They said they were refreshed with sleep. It was agreed to stand together, that they would support me and effect a passage through the enemy or die in the attempt. A little spring water refreshed us more. The necessary dispositions were made but we had no guides. We heard the enemy within a half mile of us, but no one seemed alarmed so we proceeded and luckily fell in with Wayne's track. We pursued it and over- took him near the river Du Lac. This made us upwards of seven hundred strong and we agreed to attack the enemy if they fell in our way to Bokie ( Berthier), opposite Sorel. We were sure they would attempt the fort at Sorel before we could arrive, but as we came up the English left the ferries and drew all their forces back to Three Rivers. By forced marches and surmount-

without dismay several times and remained second engagement where it is supposed he was killed. Ensign Hoopes of the same company was wounded near the breast- works when I led up the reserve. I cannot say too much of his bravery. He showed the greatest courage after he had received several wounds in the arm. He stood his ground and animated his men. He nobly made good his retreat with me through a swamp nearly eighteen miles long. Sev- eral of our regiment were killed. I appre- hend between thirty and fifty.

"June 13. Last night a sort of flag of truce came from the enemy. General Thompson, Colonel William Irvine, Dr. Mckenzie, Lieutenants Edie and Currie and Parson McCalla (of the First) are prison- ers. They were taken up by some of the rascally Canadians in the most treacherous manner."

At the time of the battle of Three Rivers, the British forces in Canada numbering 13,000 men, were under command of Sir Guy Carleton, a noted soldier in the English army, who had been appointed governor of the Province of Quebec in 1772. He had recaptured Montreal before the contest at Three Rivers, where the British troops were commanded by Sir John Burgoyne, the ill- fated officer who, in 1777, surrendered his entire army at the battle of Saratoga. The American forces at the battle of Three Riv- ers were composed entirely of Pennsylvania troops, with the exception of a small de-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

tachment from New Jersey. They fought but was overruled. Some Indians observed gallantly against great odds with all the ad- their motions, and while they were at a vantages in favor of the enemy. It was the house drinking some spruce beer, the sav- ages surrounded them, killed Captain Adams, Ensign Culbertson and two privates, whom they scalped in a most inhuman and barbarous manner, and carried off prisoners McClean, McFerran, McAllister and Hoge and two other privates. But a party coming to their relief from camp aided Captain Rip- pey and Ensign Lusk to make their escape." first engagement of the Revolution on American soil fought by Pennsylvania troops. Although they did not succeed, the battle proved again to the ministry and the King of England that the American volun- teers, fighting for liberty and independence, were destined to rank in ability and achieve- ment with the trained soldiers of Europe.

After the engagement at Three

Sullivan Rivers and the defeat of Arnold

Retreats. at Montreal, Sullivan began his

masterly retreat. He joined Arnold at St. Johns, on the Sorel river, which flows from the mouth of Lake Cham- plain into the St. Lawrence.

"The rear of the army," says Wilkinson in his "Memoirs," "with baggage stores, reached St. Johns on June 18th, was em- barked and moved up the Sorel the same afternoon. After the last boat except Ar- mold's had put off, at Arnold's suggestion, he and Wilkinson went down the direct road to Chambly for two miles, where they met the advance of the British division, under Burgoyne. They reconnoitered it a few minutes, then galloped back to St. of the traitor McDonald, who had deceived Johns and stripping their horses, shot them. them at Three Rivers. Arnold then ordered all on board, pushed On June 27th, at Isle la Motte off the boat with his own hands, and thus Gates in all the army took vessels and indulged the vanity of being the last man who embarked from the shores of the enemy. They followed the army twelve miles to the Isle Aux Noix, where they ar- rived after dark.'

The head of Burgoyne's column entered St. Johns on the evening of the 18th, and Philip's advance guard on the morning of the 19th. On the 19th general orders at Isle Aux Noix directed the commands of de Hass, Wayne, St. Clair and Irvine to encamp on the east side of the island.

On the 21st, Irvine's battalion met with another heavy loss, as is detailed by a letter from one of the regiment :

"Captains McClean, Adams and Rippey, Lieutenants McFerran, McAllister and Hoge, and Ensigns Lusk and Culbertson, with four privates, went over from the Isle Aux Noix to the western shore of the lake, about a mile from camp, but within sight, to fish and divert themselves. McClean prudently proposed to take arms with them

The bodies of those killed were brought to the Isle Aux Noix and decently buried by Wayne, who with a party followed the Indians and recovered the batteaux with the bodies.

Isle Aux Noix proved very unhealthy ; Wayne had sixty men out of one hundred and thirty-eight taken down with sickness, after their arrival there; and on the 24th of June, de Haas and all his field officers with a number of his men were sick. On the 25th, General Sullivan commenced moving the army to Isle la Motte. Colonel Hartley, with two hundred and fifty men of Irvine's battalion, went by land, scouring the coun- try, traversing disagreeable swamps, de- stroying on the way the houses, mills, etc.,

Command. came to Crown Point, which they reached on July Ist. General Gates arrived there on the evening of the 5th, superceding General Sullivan, and on the 7th at a council of war, it was determined to remove the army to Ticon- deroga. The battalions of de Haas, St. Clair and Wayne arrived there on the 10th, the Sixth battalion under Hartley remain- ing posted at Crown Point, where it en- camped the balance of the summer and fall, the sentinel regiment of Gates' army. On

the 20th Gates brigaded his army, and the four Pennsylvania battalions were consti- tuted the Fourth Brigade, Colonel Arthur St. Clair commanding; Edward Scull bri- gade-major for the Third and Fourth bat- talions. August 14th, Hartley's scouts found the British still at St. Johns.

On the 6th of September, Hartley desired General Gates to send to Crown Point, either General Wayne's battalion or the Second and he would defend it with them.

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Gates gave him positive orders to retreat ion under the command of Lieutenant if the British reached that point. Colonel Hartley reached Carlisle on its return March 15, 1777, where it was re- enlisted for three years or the war as the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line. British did not come, however, and on the 22d Irvine's regiment was still at Crown Point-one lieutenant colonel, one major, four captains, five first lieutenants, three second lieutenants, five ensigns, four staff, Colonel Irvine, of Carlisle, who com- manded the Sixth battalion in which the York county troops served, was captured at Three Rivers and carried a prisoner to New York, where he was paroled August 3, 1776, but was not exchanged until May 6, 1778, when he resumed the command of the Seventh Pennsylvania regiment. He took part in various campaigns and was promoted to brigadier general and after the war served as a member of Continental Congress. seventeen sergeants, fifteen drums, and four hundred and eighty-six rank and file. On the IIth of October, Hartley still main- tained his post, having found in the woods some cannon lost in the French war. With great labor he had roads cut and transported them to Crown Point, and had a battery of six guns ready for the enemy not any too soon, for on the same day the British at- tacked Arnold's fleet on Lake Champlain, compelling him to retire towards Crown Point. On the 14th Hartley set fire to all the houses at or near Crown Point and re- tired to Ticonderoga.

The season was too far advanced for the British to make any further progress ; after threatening Ticonderoga they retired into winter quarters. On the 18th of November General Gates putting Wayne in command of Ticonderoga, proceeded to join General Washington with the larger part of the army, the three Pennsylvania battalions whose time would expire on the 5th of Jan- uary, agreeing to remain until they were re- lieved by other troops. On the 29th of November, the Second, commanded by. Wood, numbered four hundred and twenty- six officers and men ; Wayne's five hundred and sixty-five; Irvine's five hundred and three.

On the 4th of December, Wayne writes to the Committee of Safety :

"The wretched condition the battalions are now in for want of almost every neces- sary, except flour and bad beef, is shocking to humanity, and beggars all description. We have neither beds nor bedding for our sick to lie on or under, other than their own clothing; no medicine or other things needed for them. The dead and dying, lying mingled together in our hospital, or rather house of carnage, is no uncommon sight. They are objects truly worthy of your notice."

The

Return Home.

On the 24th of January, 1777, the Pennsylvania battalions left Ti- conderoga with General Wayne for their homes. Irvine's battal-

William Thompson, who was captured at Three Rivers, had commanded Thomp- son's Rifle Battalion in front of Boston until he was promoted brigadier-general and joined the expedition against Canada. He was held a prisoner in New York until August, 1776, when he returned to Phila- delphia on parole but was not exchanged until 1778. He died near Carlisle in 1781, aged 56 years.

Captain Moses McClean, who was cap- tured by the Indians in this campaign, was held a prisoner of war until March 27, 1777, when he was exchanged. After the war he moved to Ohio and died at Chillicothe, Au- gust 25, 1810, aged seventy-three years.

Captain David Grier, who won a brilliant record for gallantry at Three Rivers, was promoted to major of his regiment October 25, 1776. He was made lieutenant colonel of the Seventh Pennsylvania regiment, which he commanded during Colonel Ir- vine's imprisonment. In September, 1777, he participated in battles under General Wayne and was wounded slightly at Chad's Ford and was also wounded in the side by a bayonet at Paoli. Colonel Grier practiced law after the war and was a prom- inent citizen of York. He was a presiden- tial elector at Washington's first election. He died in York in 1791.

Lieutenant John Edie, who became a prisoner of war at Three Rivers, was not exchanged until April 10, 1778. From 1791 to 1798 he was editor and one of the owners of the Pennsylvania Herald and General Advertiser published at York, the files of

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

which paper are in the Historical Society of York county. After the Revolution Lieu- tenant Edie became brigadier general in the state militia.

Lieutenant Abdiel McAllister, of Grier's company, who was captured at Three Riv- ers, was the oldest son of Colonel Richard McAllister, founder of Hanover, who com- manded the Second regiment in the Flying Camp.

CAPTAIN MOSES McCLEAN'S COM- PANY.

The following is a complete muster roll of Captain Moses McClean's company re- cruited partly in York county and partly in the present area of Adams county :

Captain. McClean, Moses. First Lieutenants, Eichelberger, Barnet. Edie, John.

Second Lieutenant, Hoge, John. Ensign,

Walker, Andrew.

Knox, John.

Hoopes, Robert. Sergeants, Ralston, Robert.

Hayman, John. Corporals,

Smith, John.

Lawson, James.

Milligan, James.

McIlhenny, Felix.

King, John.

Lethew, David. Tomson, Ezra. Drum and Fife,

Allison, Robert. Drum and Fife, Conner, Patrick. Stack, Richard. Privatès,

Adair, John

Jayne, Aaron

Anguis, William

Allison, Robert

Johnston, George

Barnes, Patrick

Atcheson, Edward

Johnston, James

Baker, George

Johnston, Robert

Barclay, Joseph Blain, John

Kelly, Edward

Bacheldor, Ebenezer

Johnston, William

Blakely, George Brown, John

King, William

Brian, John

Leeson, James

Campbell, William

Kincaid, Samuel

Campbell, Archibald

Mason, William

Chesney, Thomas

Limerick, Patrick

Matthews, Jacob

Cochran, William

Long, Joseph

McCall, John

Conn, John Commoly, John

Mahon, Charles

Conway, Charles

McDaniel, John

Crawford, Robert

Madden, Timothy

Cooper, George

McGowan, Samuel

Cunningham, David

Maxwell, James

Corrigan, Cornelius

McKissack, Henry

Cunningham, Patrick Dill, Thomas

McBride, John

Dulany, Thomas

McMullan, James Mealy, Lawrence

Duffield, Felix

McDonald, William

Dougherty, Charles

Murphy, Michael

Dunlap, John

McDowell, John

Dougherty, John

Murphy, Dennis

Evan, William Entrican, William

McGee, John

O'Niel, Peter

Faith, Alexander

McGonagal, Neal

McGuan, Patrick

Forsyth, Robert

Gibbous, Henry

McKeeder, Owen

Geddes, Joseph Grant, Peter

Redmond, Murtough

Griffith, David Hall, John

Mc Williams, John Morgan, Christian

Gyfinger, Charles

Roney, Patrick

Hargie, John

Mullen, Daniel

Harkins, James

Russel, Joseph

Heinerman, Michael Hughes, William

Murphy, Dennis Murray, Eneas

Needham, Robert

Sample, William

Nelson, Thomas

Shugart, Eli

Nolan, Luke

Simonton, John

O'Hara, Dennis

Sloane, David

Patten, John

Smith, Patrick

Patterson, John

Robinson, John

Sullivan, Peter Tibbens, Henry

CAPTAIN DAVID GRIER'S COM- PANY.

Captain David Grier's company came from York, Hanover, the vicinity of Dills- burg and the lower end of York county. Its membership was almost entirely com- posed of Scotch-Irish. The following is the complete muster roll of the company :

Captain, Grier, David. First Lieutenant, McDowell, John. Second Lieutenant,

McAllister, Abdiel. Ensigns, Nichols, William.

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Hamilton, James. Wright, Mathias. Privates, Hoy, Thomas Jackson, Archibald

Barry, James

Kelly, George

King, Patrick

Beard, Robert

Kelly, Thomas

Clemmonds, John Conn, Adam

Lynch, Patrick

Conner, George

McCoy, William

Davis, David

McMeehan, Michael

Dingley, William

McDaniel, James

Dorce or Deis, John

Esson, Alexander

O'Loan, Patrick

Falkner, John Frick, John

Pearcy, John , Price, James Quigley, William

Graynor, Thomas

McManery, James

Guncager, Charles

Robinson, James

Hickenbottom, Edward

Hodge, Isaac

Scullion, Patrick Schregh, Peter

Meloy, Bartholomew

McFarland, Jacob

Gerard, Mathias

Kennedy, Samuel

Hughes, John. Sergeants,

Jeffries, Robert.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 31

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