History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 42

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

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The German troops had not received money to support them on the march before from Sir Henry Clinton. In order to remedy the difficulty, Baron Riedesel re- turned to Boston, where he secured $70,000 in paper money on his own responsibility, to aid in moving his troops.

The British troops passed through Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut to Fishkill on the Hudson. In a letter written December IO, at Sherwood's Ferry, on the banks of the Delaware, Lieutenant Anbury wrote :

"General Washington was not without apprehension that Sir Henry Clinton, then at New York, would make efforts to retake us, either by an expedition up the North River, or our march through the Jerseys, and therefore took every precaution to frustrate any plan that might be concerted, for upon the arrival of our army at Fishkill, General Washington moved his army into the middle of the Jerseys and detached a considerable body of troops to escort us, so

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very apprehensive was he of a rescue, that its population were a large number of me- to each brigade of ours they had a brigade chanics. There were three or four churches, of armed men, who marched the men in close columns. As to the officers they paid little attention, as we had signed a very strict parole. previous to our leaving New England. Now we have passed the Dela- ware, the Pennsylvania militia are to guard us and the brigades that escorted us through New York and the Jerseys return to Wash- ington's army." When the British prison- ers had reached Sussex in crossing the state of New Jersey, Sir Henry Clinton sent out a paymaster who paid off the troops in British coin.

The three divisions of German troops under Baron Riedesel also crossed the Hud- son at Fishkill a few days after the British had passed over. At this place. Washing- ton paid them the compliment of his pres- ence. He also gave them a strong guard lest Clinton should carry out his threat of releasing them by force.

Lieutenant Anbury made the Arrive at Lancaster. following entry in his journal after arriving at Lancaster: "In our way hither, we crossed the Schuylkill, over the bridge built by Gen- eral Washington's army, when they were encamped at Valley Forge. I imagine it was the intention of the Americans that this bridge should remain as a triumphal me- mento, for in the centre of every arch is engraved in the wood, the names of the principal generals in their country and in the midde arch was General Washington's with the date of the year the bridge was erected. This bridge was built to preserve a communication and to favor a retreat in case they were compelled to quit their en- campment. Our troops slept in the huts at Valley Forge which had been constructed by the Americans."

and the county court house in Centre Square in which the Pennsylvania Legis- lature had held its sessions when driven out of Philadelphia the year before. Con- gress had convened in this building one day in September, 1777, and then adjourned to York. The largest pipe organ in America, which had been made at the town of Lititz. was then in use in the First Lutheran Church of Lancaster. Some of the officers who went to see this wonderful piece of mechanism sent descriptions of it to their homes. The manufacturer had made every part of the organ with his own hands. One of the diaries states :

"The organ had not only every pipe and stop that is in most others, but it has many pipes to swell the base which are of an amazing circumference, and they are played upon by the feet, there being a row of wooden keys that the performer treads on."

After bivouacking for the night around the borough of Lancaster, the three divisions of the British troops. com- manded by General William Phillips and under a guard of several regi- ments of Pennsylvania militia, and a detachment of the Continental army, the march was begun to the Susquehanna river. crossing at the present sites of Columbia and Wrightsville. A regiment of the York County militia joined the guard at Wright's Ferry, and Colonel Joseph Jeffries. wagon master for York County, furnished one hun- dred wagons and teams with which he con- veyed into Virginia the women and children and the baggage belonging to both the Brit- ish and German prisoners. Many of these wagons were afterward pressed into service by the state of Virginia. The advance reached York on December 16. Lieutenant Anbury made the following entry in refer- ence to York :

Lancaster at this time was the largest inland town in America, containing a popu- lation of nearly 4000. The inhabitants "After we crossed the Susque- Reach hanna, we arrived at York, which were composed of German and Scotch- Irish. Most of the houses had an elevation York. was sometime the seat of Congress. This is reckoned the second inland town in America : it is not nearly so large as Lancaster, but much pleasanter, being sit- uated on the Codorus creek, a pretty stream which falls into the Susquehanna. This town contains between two and three thou- before the door and they were entered by ascending high steps from the street, re- sembling a small balcony with benches on both sides where the inhabitants sat and took in the fresh air and viewed the people passing. The town had considerable trade with Philadelphia and New York. Among sand inhabitants. chiefly Germans, inter-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

mixed with Scotch-Irish. Here was for- following day ; and the third division, a body merly more trade than in Lancaster, and of 923. on the evening of December 19. notwithstanding the troubles, it has still There were in all 2577 British soldiers.

more the appearance of it. As our division came into the town at four o'clock in the afternoon. and marched the next morning, I had but little time to make any particular observations; but in walking about I saw the Court House and a few churches, which are very neat brick buildings, and I re- marked the houses were much better built and with more regularity than at Lancaster. Of the two, though York is considerably less than the other, I should give it the preference for a place of residence."

Hessians

Along the entire line of march from Massachusetts to Virginia

Desert. the guard of American troops

made no special efforts to pre- vent desertions among the prisoners. Lieu- tenant Anbury says :

"It was with a view and a hope that the men would desert, that Congress marched us at this inclement season; numbers have answered their wishes, especially the Ger- mans, who seeing in what a comfortable manner their countrymen live, left us in great numbers, as we marched through New York, the Jerseys and Pennsylvania. Among the number of deserters is my ser- vant, who, as we left Lancaster, ran from me with my horse, portmanteau and every- thing he could take with him. I did not miss him till night, as I concluded he was with the baggage wagons. The next morn- ing I obtained permission from the officer that escorted us, to return in pursuit of him.'

Rev. John Roth, pastor of the Moravian church at York, recorded in his diary :

"Dec. 16 .- To-night a party of the Con- vention troops, the Hessians and others cap- tured at Saratoga by Gates, arrived here from New England on way to Virginia.

"Dec. 22 .- The Convention troops which arrived here on the 16th and 19th inst. left for the south (Virginia).

"Dec. 24 .- Numbers of Convention troops are deserting on account of their being badly treated by their officers. Some of them attended our services and were atten- tive and earnest."

The Germans arrived in York in three divisions. The first came on December 22, and numbered 947. With this body were a large number of women and children, transported on wagons. The last two divisions of German troops passed through York, December 23 and 24, and numbered 935. There were in all 4459 British and Hessian officers and men on this famous march, as prisoners of war, to Virginia.

After leaving York. the pris-

Pass oners were marched in brigades

Through a distance of fifteen to twenty

Hanover. miles a day. There is a well- founded tradition that the dif- ferent brigades bivouacked on successive nights along a hillside near Menges' Mills in Heidelberg township, and proceeded the next day through Hanover, halting again for the night near Littlestown, in Adams County. Till they arrived at Frederick, the most delightful winter weather had favored them on the march, but while encamped around that town a heavy snow fell. This was followed by extreme cold weather which made it impossible for the brigades in the rear to cross the Potomac, then cov- ered with floating ice. After they had all crossed that stream, the Virginia roads were almost impassable. The top of the deep snow was a crust but not sufficiently strong to bear the weight of a man, so that the movement from the Potomac to Virginia was the most difficult and distressing part of the march.

The last brigade finally At arrived at Charlottesville. Charlottesville. Having started from Mass- achusetts November 10, it required two full months to complete this march of nearly 700 miles. At Charlottes- ville a rude village was built on the brow of a pleasant ridge of hills, and gardens were laid out and planted. Much kind assistance was rendered in all this work by Thomas Jefferson, who was then-living close by on his estate at Monticello, and did everything in his power to make things comfortable for soldiers and officers.

The first division of British troops num- General William Phillips, who was second bering 781, arrived in York, December 16; in command at Saratoga and who had been the second division, numbering 873, on the in charge of the Convention prisoners on

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THE REVOLUTION

the march to Virginia and while in the bar- and a symbol of affection for their generous and magnanimous allies the French.' "

racks at Charlottesville, was allowed to go to New York in the fall of 1779, on parole. While in that city he was exchanged for General Benjamin Lincoln, recently cap- tured at Charleston, S. C. In 1780 Phillips joined Benedict Arnold in an expedition against Richmond. Predatory parties had been sent out in the direction of Charlottes- ville and fearing that Arnold and Phillips might form an expedition for the release of the prisoners, Congress decided in the fall of 1780 to remove them northward. In the early part of October, the prisoners were marched toward Winchester, in the same manner that they had gone to Charlottes- ville, two years before. The prisoners were quartered at Winchester for two weeks and removed to Frederick, Maryland, where they were held until Congress de- cided where they should be taken. At this place they occupied comfortable barracks and the men were allowed many privileges. The officers were quartered in the town and plantations around. On May 31, 1781, these British officers and prisoners wit- nessed the movement of the Pennsylvania Line through Frederick. On July 31, 1781, tenant Anbury wrote in his journal :

"We daily expect to remove Move from this province on account Northward. of the movements of Lord Cornwallis' army, which we understand is forming a junction with the troops landed in Virginia, under the com- mand of General Phillips and General Ar- nold, and this state is not without appre- hensions of a descent being made by the King's forces. Therefore to impede this progress, General Washington has detached two strong bodies, one of Continental troops. under the command of the Marquis de la Fayette, and the other consisting of the Pennsylvania Line, under General Wayne. They passed through Frederick last month. and appeared to be mostly Scotch and Irish with a great number of Board of War, in which he stated :

blacks. They were badly clothed, and so extremely mutinous and discontented, that their officers were afraid to trust them with ammunition. I observed that they wore black and white cockades, the ground being the first color and the relief of the other. On inquiring the cause, a very pompous American replied, 'It was a compliment to

The British and Hessian prisoners greatly diminished in numbers both by death and desertion while at Frederick. Congress finally decided to remove the prisoners to York and Lancaster, in Pennsylvania. The officers were separated from the prisoners at Lancaster and sent to East Windsor, Connecticut. Brigadier-General Hamilton, in charge of the British troops, expressed great displeasure on account of this separa- tion which, he claimed, was in direct oppo- sition to the agreement entered into at the surrender at Saratoga, three years before.

THE RETURN OF THE PRISONERS.

The Convention prisoners removed late in 1780 from Charlottesville to Winchester, Virginia, and to Frederick, Maryland, were ordered by Congress in 1781 to be brought to Pennsylvania. The British were to be quartered at York and the Hessians at Lan- caster. There were at that time about 3000 of Burgoyne's officers and men held as prisoners of war. Joseph Reed, then presi- dent of Pennsylvania, protested against so many prisoners being brought into this commonwealth. In response to President Reed's protest, the Board of War asserted that Congress had not changed its decision and that Pennsylvania should make prepa- ration to guard and sustain the prisoners at such places in Pennsylvania as would be most convenient. At this juncture, Gov- ernor Thomas Lee, of Maryland, wrote to President Reed that he had been informed by Thomas Jefferson, governor of Virginia, that the Burgoyne prisoners and other Brit- ish captured at Cowpens, S. C., were at Winchester, March 12, 1781, on their way to Pennsylvania, and the British prisoners at Frederick, 800 in number, were to be sent to York. On the same day that Governor Lee sent his communication to President Reed, the latter wrote a long letter to the

We acknowledge the receipt of your

Reed's favor of the 13th inst., calling upon us to prepare a guard of 400 militia and to Opposition.supply provisions and all other neces- saries for the convention troops, observ- ing that though the Hon. Congress had directed you to take measures for guarding and supply- ing these troops after they arrive at their proposed quarters that you have no other means in your power to comply with this direction than by calling on this

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

state for that guard and those supplies. We are sorry, Gentlemen, to inform you that in the present exhausted state of our treasury we have little prospect of being able to answer your expectations. We have computed the monthly expense of feeding these troops and guards at 8,960 pounds specie per month-the pay of the militia and repair of barracks will also be considerable-which added to the necessary advances daily making for the sustenance of the prisoners already here amounting to 1,000-to the recruiting and support of the Pennsyl- vania Line daily increasing and wholly within the State, the supply of the Continental Army, the artificers, inva- lids, mechanics, and other dependencies on Congress, will, we are persuaded, be a burden insupportable. And we must acknowledge freely that we think it very un- equal that when there are thirteen states in union all the prisoners should be brought into one. We have always endeavored to comply with requisitions when in our power, but we do not see the least probability of answering present expectations in their full extent. Having already observed to our delegates in Congress, the danger of adding to the dissatisfaction of the in- habitants, especially from the influence of the German officers, we need not touch on that head, though of a very delicate and alarming nature. But in another view the bringing these troops into the state must affect the general interest. Should they cross the Susquehanna we are fully persuaded much the greatest part of them will be in New York in a few months; they will find so many friends and opportunities to convey them thither that unless closely confined no precautions will be sufficient to prevent this evil. Our militia in the country are very badly armed, so that if either through scarcity of provisions, other discontent or impatience of captivity these troops should resolve to serve the enemy and prefer force to desertion we apprehend there is danger of their effecting it. The high price of pro- visions, of fuel and all other necessaries at Lancaster and York will be an object also well worthy of con- sideration, the rates of wood and other necessary articles at Lancaster not differing materially from those of Philadelphia. This will be our last representation 011 the subject which we have thought it our duty to make -that should any bad consequences result we may stand fully acquitted, having declared our opinion that we shall not be able to provide for them with that plenty or guard them in that security which the case requires.

The Board of War then decided that the British officers held at Winchester and Frederick should be "put on their parole" and sent to Simsbury, Connecticut, the Ger- man troops should be held at Winchester and their officers put on parole at that place. The British privates and non-commissioned officers were to remain at Frederick for the time being. Colonel James Wood, of the Lancaster, Berks and Northampton Coun- Continental army, who had the prisoners in charge, was ordered by Congress to carry out the plans already made for their dis- position. Almost

I,OOO unconditional prisoners captured at Cowpens and else- where in the south were ordered to the Lan- caster barracks and the 3,000 Saratoga prisoners to be retained for a time in Mary- land and Virginia. At this time General Philips, of the British army, who had been

exchanged, was then in command of 900 men who had either deserted or escaped from the camp at Charlottesville. With this force he had joined the traitor, Benedict Arnold, in front of Richmond. Lord Corn- wallis, with a large British army, was now on his march through the Carolinas toward Virginia in pursuit of General Greene. As the Board of War thought the scene of hostilities in 1781 might be in Virginia, it decided in May of that year that the prison- ers held in Virginia and Maryland should be forwarded to eastern Massachusetts. Congress then ordered Pennsylvania to furnish 600 militia, which were to assemble at York, and relieve the Virginia militia and take charge of the prisoners to be moved eastward under the superintendency of Colonel James Wood.

The York County wagon-

Prisoners in masters were ordered to have fifty or more wagons Pennsylvania. at York. Major Bailey, of York, commanded the militia assembled for the purpose of acting as a guard to the prisoners on their eastern movement and under his direction the Virginia guard was relieved and the local militia escorted the prisoners to Lancaster, where they arrived early in June, 1781. The British were placed in the Lancaster barracks and in camps on the public common in that town. It was now decided by Congress to have them remain in Pennsylvania. On June 17, Major Bailey escorted from York two divisions, one of 1,200 German and Hessian prisoners, to Reading, and another composed of 600 privates, 300 waiters and about 300 women and children to Lancaster. On June 27, President Reed, of Pennsyl- vania, wrote, "The Convention and other British prisoners to the number of 4,000 are now in the State of Pennsylvania." He therefore ordered out the militia of York, ties to guard them on their movement to places where they were to be confined. Colonel Wood, of the Continental army, in charge of the prisoners both in Virginia and after they came to Pennsylvania, wrote. June 30, 1781, that he had received instruc- tions from the Board of War to quarter the British near York and the Germans at Reading, but that he had not received definite instructions as to the exact places

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of confinement. President Reed then wrote to William Scott, lieutenant of the York County militia, to mark out a suitable spot, well-wooded and watered for the accommo- dation of the prisoners to be quartered at York. A place where the prisoners could build huts, surrounded by a picket. was designated. The local militia intended to guard the prisoners, were to receive pay at the rate of three and a half shillings a day in coin. The Continental money was then nearly worthless. On July 28. Lieutenant William Scott. of York County, wrote to President Reed :

Camp Near

Agreeable to your Excellency's orders I have found a place for the convention troops to encamp; about four miles and a half south- east of Yorktown, which Colonel Wood had approved as a suitable and convenient place. I have also called the fourth class of the

York.

militia, who have furnished upwards of one hundred men to guard them. Colonel Wood is of the opinion it will require near double that number until the necessary works on the encampment are erected.

I have collected all the arms in York and Hanover, which are not half enough for the guards. Therefore have to request of the Honorable Council to send us arms and ammunition for the use of the guards afore- said.

The arms which our seven months' men carried to Philadelphia last year (forty-three in number) were delivered up in a house near the bridge on Water Street, where clothing and other military stores were then kept, but no receipts passed for them that I can find.

Colonel Wood has called on me for ten or twelve carpenters and for axes, spades, picks and shovels, for building the huts and pickets. The carpenters and the smiths who make the tools look to me for their pay ; have therefore to beg your Excellency's directions in this matter, whether it is a county or continental charge and how and when these people are to be paid and by whom.

On August 2. 1781. Colonel James Wood stated "I have fixed the British troops on good ground. the property of a non-juror. between York and Susquehanna, so as to be very convenient to throw them across the river in any emergency."

government in erecting a stockade and in building huts out of wood. This place was known in Revolutionary annals as "Camp Security" and is so designated in the gov- ernment records.

After the prisoners had arrived at York, Lancaster and Reading, the authorities of Pennsylvania and Continental Congress, as well, thought it possible that the British forces under Lord Cornwallis might raid into Pennsylvania for the purpose of releas- ing these prisoners.

In March. 1781, General Greene had fought the battle of Guilford Court House. near Greensboro, North Carolina, with Cornwallis, who then commanded 7,000 men. It was an indecisive battle and re- sulted in Cornwallis moving to Wilmington on the coast of that state. Greene returned to South Carolina and after successive en- gagements with the enemy, drove them into Charleston and Savannah. Cornwallis sailed to Hampton Roads and selected a de- fensive position on the James River at Yorktown, Virginia. In August, 1781, a detachment of 2,000 of the troops from the British army under Cornwallis landed on the banks of the Chesapeake near An- napolis, Maryland.

Meantime, Washing- ton, with an army of 6,000 men, marched from the Hudson River through eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland to join Lafay- ette and Wayne, then concentrating near Yorktown, Virginia.

The arrival of the 2,000 troops at

Militia Annapolis caused alarm at York, Called Lancaster and Reading, and the

Out. authorities of Pennsylvania called out the militia for defensive oper- ations. Lieutenant William Scott, com- mander of the York County Militia, put into service 200 light horse, a cavalry squadron. CAMP SECURITY. and posted them in a chain west of the Sus- quehanna, extending from York to Chesa- The place selected by Colonel Wood as a cantonment for the prisoners was situated in the extreme northeastern part of Wind- sor Township, a short distance east of the village of Longstown, and on the north side of the road leading from Longstown to East peake Bay. In case the British landed at the head of the Chesapeake these horsemen were intended to convey the news with all possible haste to the cantonments of prison- ers at York and the other towns in Penn- sylvania. At this period in the Revolution Prospect. At this place the British Con- there was considerable excitement in York vention prisoners to the number of nearly County and the adjoining sections of the two thousand were brought back from Lan- state.

Fortunately, the appearance of caster in August, 1781. They were required Washington in Virginia caused a change in to assist the carpenters employed by the the operations of the enemy, who now con-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

centrated under Cornwallis at Yorktown, where, in October, 1781, the entire British army surrendered. Later in the year, and during the spring of 1782, detachments of prisoners from the army of Cornwallis were also brought to York and imprisoned in huts erected a short distance east of the stockade in Windsor Township, where about 2,000 of Burgoyne's army were then held, as described above. A description of the prison pens near York, as they were at this period is given in an abstract from the diary of Sergeant Lamb, found further on in this narrative. At this place most of the British prisoners, brought here in 1781 and 1782, remained until the cessation of hostili- ties was declared April 19, 1783, the eighth anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 42

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