History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 44

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

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"Meantime such a great quantity

Down of snow fell that two of our in servants were obliged to go

Virginia. before my wagon on horseback in order to make a path for us. On our journey through Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, we passed through a picturesque country which, however, by reason of its wildness, inspired us with ter- ror. We arrived at Colle, near Charlottes- ville, in the middle of February, 1779, where my husband, who had gone ahead with our

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

troops, awaited us with impatient longing. before him. After encountering many dan- My husband built a large house at Cole, two gers that brave woman, with her children, had reached the place a few days earlier and had thus had an opportunity of enjoying a little rest, which she very much needed." hours' ride from the prisoners quartered at Charlottesville. The house cost him one hundred guineas. In the summer of 1779, we received word that General Philips and "From York," says the Baroness, "we pursued our journey through beautifully cultivated country regions and arrived safely at Elizabeth, New Jersey. We ex- pected to cross over to New York the same evening and be restored to our freedom, but while seated at dinner, an officer from Washington arrived with a letter ordering us to return to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as Congress had refused to ratify the ex- change. The eyes of General Philips, who was by nature very passionate, fairly scintil- lated with rage. In a fit of anger he struck the table with his fist. I was like one petri- fied and could not utter a word." my husband, with their adjutants, had per- mission to go to New York in order to be exchanged. My husband handed over the charge of the German troops to General Specht. He then proceeded northward with General Philips and I set out to meet him at York, Pennsylvania. Before leaving Vir- ginia, Mrs. Carroll sent me an invitation for me to visit her at her home in Maryland. I determined to accept her courtesies. She resided near the town of Baltimore, which, I was told, was very pretty and inhabited by many amiable families. We remained as her guests eight days and were hospitably entertained.

"While moving toward York, Pennsyl- vania, from Baltimore, we were overtaken in a forest by a violent thunderstorm. A trunk of a tree broke and fell between the carriage box and the horses. Here we sat fast aground, and could not stir from the place, as none of our servants were strong enough to move the tree from the spot where it had fallen. In the meantime, it thundered fearfully; the lightning struck in several places round about us; and another and larger tree threatened to crush us. I could only urge the servants to disengage us from the jam, but the coachman, who was completely bewildered, assured me it was impossible. At last, my little Gustava, who was at that time only eight years old, said, 'Only unhitch the horses, and put them be- hind the wagon, and you can draw it back- wards.' This suggestion was immediately acted upon, and every one asked the other why that idea had not occurred to them likewise.

The "So finally we arrived happily at

York, in Pennsylvania, where we Baroness found my husband, who had

in York. been very much worried about us on account of the vivid light- ning. We rode through a magnificent coun- try.'

The "Memoirs" of Baron Riedesel says: "Upon reaching York with General Philips, whom he had met on the way, the Baron found that his wife had arrived a few days

In obedience to the order, they returned to Bethlehem, remaining there until the lat- ter part of November, when they were allowed to enter the British lines in New York City. General Riedesel and his wife remained there several months, and March 7, 1780, she gave birth to her fourth daughter. Says the baroness in her diary : "We had intended, in case it had been a boy, to call the child Americus, which we now exchanged for America." General Philips, General Knyphausen and Colonel Wurmb acted as sponsors at the baptism of the child."

DR. JOHN CONNOLLY.

Dr. John Connolly, a romantic character in the history of the Revolution, was held a prisoner of war at York for a period of two years. He was born in Lancaster County in 1744, son of John Connolly, a surgeon in the British service in America. His mother was first the wife of James Patterson, the noted Indian trader, at Lancaster, who, after his death married as her second hus- band, Thomas Ewing, father of General James Ewing, of York County, who com- manded a brigade in the Flying Camp. Surgeon Connolly was her third husband. Dr. John Connolly, their son, who was edu- cated as a physician, was a man of vigor and force. When the Revolution opened he be- came a loyalist, and at the suggestion of Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, went to Boston, where he obtained a colonel's

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THE REVOLUTION

commission from General Gage, the British the county jail at York, where I was closely commander at that port. Owing to his locked up and all the former severity against me renewed. The York jail was so crowded with British prisoners, permanent and transient, that a contagious fever ap-

alliance with Dunmore, who was also a loyalist, Connolly was induced to raise a regiment of Tories and Indians to be known as the Royal Foresters. While passing peared."

through Hagerstown, Maryland, with a single companion on his way to the western frontier for the purpose of organizing his command, he was arrested. His captors found in his saddlebags his commission. He was taken to Philadelphia and placed in prison. While passing through York, Con- nolly recorded in his journal: "On the sec- ond day after our capture we arrived at York, where a committee decided that we should be confined in a room in the county jail, in which was a straw bed, little cover- ing and no fire. The new-made soldiers of York were then so fond of fife and drum that they entertained us all night with this music. The next morning, January 1, 1776, we were conducted to the tavern, where our horses had been kept, by a military guard with a drummer beating the Rogue's March. When the guard which brought us here from Frederick started from York, the people of the town and the soldiers ironic- ally complimented us with many wishes of a happy new year. Great numbers of the

inhabitants of York rode with us until we passing prisoners and is not now crowded.

arrived at Wright's Ferry, the home of my half brother, Colonel James Ewing, who differed from me in political affiliation, for he espoused the cause of the colonies. At Ewing's request, I was allowed to walk on the ice with him in crossing the Susque- hanna. After less than a year's imprison- ment in Philadelphia, through my brother, James Ewing, who had become a general in the American army, I was released upon a temporary parole and permitted to go to his home in York County, where I was allowed to go five miles distant for exercise to re- cuperate my health. Here I was sent in November, 1776, and remained two months, when I was again remanded to prison, but General Ewing again came to my rescue and by his own bond I was, in the spring of 1777, again permitted to live at his home on parole. I continued in this happy situa- tion from April II to October 14, 1777. When Congress moved to York, the Board of War, believing that I was plotting against the government, had me placed in

Connolly, being a physician, in May, 1778, petitioned Congress, then sitting at York, to relieve him and his associates from this unsanitary condition of affairs. Among the British prisoners who signed this document with Connolly were Richard M. Stockton, Charles Harrison, Asher Dunham, Robert Morrison and Francis Frazer.

Five days later the Board of War, under instructions from Congress, reported that Thomas Peters, deputy commissary of prisoners at York and Carlisle; Dr. Henry, an attending surgeon, and Colonel Picker- ing, a member of the Board of War, had visited the York jail and found that the statements made by Connolly and his asso- ciates were exaggerated. They further mentioned "that Connolly and six British officers occupied two rooms in the jail, one fifteen by twenty feet, and the other nearly as large; that they also had the privilege of the jail yard, which was sixty yards long and eighteen yards wide. This jail is used as a place of temporary confinement for

There are only nine privates in the jail, and three of them are the officers' servants. The jail is capable of holding one hundred and sixty prisoners. Five of the soldiers have light fevers, common to places of con- finement, but their disorders are not con- tagious or dangerous."

Dr. William Shippen, surgeon-general of the army, while on a visit to York, had ex- amined Connolly during his imprisonment and pronounced him a hypochondraic and not responsible for his statements. This opinion was concurred in by Colonel Pick- ering and the rest, but Connolly denied these allegations and claimed he was treated unfairly.

After Congress returned to Philadelphia, in June, 1778, Connolly was admitted to parole and sent to that city, but he was afterward remanded to prison, where he re- mained until nearly the end of the war.

After the close of the Revolution he visited General Ewing upon his plantation. On one occasion, in an unguarded moment.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA

when seated at the table, he boastfully made obtain redress, and recognized the people of the remarkable statement that the British Boston as "suffering in the common cause army would yet come down from Canada of liberty." It was resolved that every and conquer the United States. This as- tounding remark exasperated Ewing, who rose from his chair and seized Connolly by the throat. The two men were separated by the appeals of Ewing's wife. Although holding opposite views during the Revolu- tion and thereafter, there always existed a bond of fraternal union between Ewing and his half-brother. Even as late as 1798, in an attempt to recover land that he owned at the Falls of the Ohio River, Connolly at- tempted to enlist some army officers in a scheme to capture Louisiana and set up a separate government in the West. The at- tention of the President of the United States was called to this plot and measures were taken to prevent its execution. Connolly died in Canada at an advanced age. He was an adventurer throughout his whole life. township in York County send delegates to meet in convention on the 4th of July fol- lowing. A committee of thirteen was then appointed for the town of York. June 28, the Philadelphia Committee of Safety transmitted to the committee of thirteen in York, resolutions passed by the Provincial Conference assembled in State House Square on June 18. This Provincial Con- ference had recommended that the com- mittees appointed in the different counties or such number of them as thought proper, meet in Philadelphia at the time the Provincial Assembly should convene. On account of the Indian disturbances, John Penn, governor of Pennsylvania, had called a meeting of the Provincial Assembly for July 18. The committees of the several counties thus assembling in Philadelphia at the same time as the Provincial Assembly met, could then frame and prepare such matters for submission to the Assembly as might be thought proper and expedient.

CHAPTER XVII REVOLUTION-Continued.

Committee of Safety-Associators-Bio- graphical - Historical Notes - Muster Rolls-Pensioners.

In the year 1774, when the sentiment spread throughout America in opposition to the British government of the colonies, committees of correspondence and commit- tees of safety were organized. In May of that year, Charles Thomson, by order of the Committee of Safety of Philadelphia, sent out circular letters to the different counties of Pennsylvania, asking for the sentiments of the inhabitants in relation to the attitude of the mother country toward the colonies. This letter also asked that delegates should be chosen from York County to attend a provincial conference to be held at Philadelphia, June 15, 1774.

First

In response to this letter a meet- ing was held in York, presided

Meeting over by Michael Swope, who

in afterwards commanded a regi- York. ment of York County troops in the Revolution. This meeting decided to concur with the sister colonies in any constitutional measures in order to

In accordance with this request, James Smith, Joseph Donaldson and Thomas Hartley were sent as deputies from York County to the Provincial Conference, which had been announced to assemble at Phila- delphia on July 15, three days before the Provincial Assembly met pursuant to the call of Governor Penn. James Smith was appointed a member of a committee to pre- pare a petition to the Provincial Assembly to appoint delegates to attend a Continental Congress of representatives from all the colonies in America. This Congress met in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774, in Car- penter's Hall. Among the members of this illustrious body were George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Rutledge. This Congress agreed upon a Declaration of Rights, and after discussing other meas- ures, adjourned to meet in Philadelphia on the Ioth of May, 1775.

On December 16, 1774, the freeholders of York County met at the Court House for the purpose of electing a Committee of Safety, which was composed of one or more representatives from every township in the county. The following is a list of the per- sons chosen :

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THE REVOLUTION

Henry Slagle. Joseph Donaldson, George Eichelberger, George Irwin, John Hay,

Jacob Doudel, Frederick Fischel,

James Dickson,

William McClellan,

William Cathcart,

Archibald McClean,

Patrick Scott,

David Grier,

Michael Doudel,

Michael Bard,

David Kennedy, Thomas Fisher,

Casper Reinecker,

John Kean,

Henry Liebhard,

John Maxwell,

John Houston, George Kuntz,

George Oge,

Simon Coppenhaffer,

John O. Blenes. William Dill,

Joseph Jefferies,

Robert McCorley,

Henry Banta. Sr.,

Michael Hahn,

William Kilmary,

Baltzer Spangler,.

William Chesney,

Daniel Messerly,

Francis Holton,

Nicholas Bittinger,

Peter Reel,

Michael Davis.

Andrew Finley.

On December 17, the Committee met at the Court House and organized by electing James Smith, chairman ; Thomas Hartley, vice-president ; John Hay, treasurer, and George Lewis Lefler, secretary. meeting the committee prepared rules for the transaction of business. laid plans for raising money to be sent to the unfortunate people of Boston, whose rights had been trampled upon by the English government, and then adjourned until December 29. On December 22, 1774, a letter was received from the Committee of Safety in Philadel- phia requesting that the local committees in Pennsylvania send delegates to a Provincial Convention to be held in Phila- delphia. January 23, 1775, in order that these delegates might discuss questions relating to the common defence of the peo- ple in Pennsylvania and the other colonies.

James Smith, Thomas Hartley, John Hay, pated as Provincial troops in the French

George Eichelberger, Joseph Donaldson, George Irwin and Michael Smyser were chosen by the committee to represent York County in the proposed convention. When this Provincial Conference met at Philadel- phia, on January 22, they resolved that this Convention heartily approved of the con- duct and proceedings of the Continental Congress, which had already held a ses- sion.

In April, 1775. James Smith, chairman of the Committee of Safety, addressed a patriotic letter to the committee at Boston and forwarded the sum of 246 pounds for the relief of the suffering people of that citv.

protect themselves against the alleged tyranny of the English government, of which they were subjects. The love of liberty seems to have been inborn with our ancestors before the struggle for indepen- dence had begun. Persecutions in Europe had led the Scotch from the north of Ire- land. the Germans from the Palatinate, the Pietists from Germany and Switzerland to come to this province because its founder had offered freedom of conscience and a liberal government.

After the close of the French and Indian war, peace and prosperity reigned through- out York, Cumberland, Westmoreland and Bedford, then called the frontier counties. embracing all the region west of the Sus- quehanna River. Within a few years York and Cumberland had become densely popu- At this lated, each containing about twenty-five thousand settlers, who were clearing the primeval forests, cultivating the valuable lands and hunting the wild game which was abundant everywhere.

As a result of the Indian in-

Expert cursions and their experience as Riflemen. hunters, these sturdy pioneers had become expert riflemen. When they heard the news from New Eng- land and the other colonies that measures would be taken to resist the tyranny of England, our ancestors in York County were quick to respond. Militia companies had been in existence before 1750, and three companies from York County had partici- and Indian war. They had been sworn into the British service to protect their homes against the hostile invaders and finally drove them back to the Ohio Valley.

The military spirit had decreased for several years, until the patriots of York County heard of the difficulties at Boston. James Smith, the leading member of the York Bar, in May, 1774, was sent as a dele- gate to the Provincial Conference, which was held at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia. From the time he had heard of the disturbed state of affairs in Massachusetts, James Smith was one of the foremost in this prov- ince to advocate armed resistance against the mother country. He presented his

The term Associators was applied to arguments with force and eloquence to the patriotic citizens of Pennsylvania who Conference, which. however, adopted con- banded together early in the Revolution to ciliatory measures.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

The First Company.

tary company in Pennsylvania for the purpose of opposing British oppres- sion. James Smith was chosen captain of this company; Thomas Hartley, first lieu- tenant; David Grier, second lieutenant ; Henry Miller, ensign. The commanding officer became a signer of the Declaration of Independence and his subordinates all won distinction in the American army. The non-commissioned officers and privates were composed of the leading citizens of the town and county. They met regularly for drill and discipline, being armed with rifles for complete training in the art of war.

Meantime the first Continental Congress had met at Carpenter's Hall, September 5, 1774, and although this body agreed upon a declaration of rights, and sent a petition to the king, it did not urge armed resist- ance against the mother country. The mili- tary spirit, however, was rife throughout York County, which embraced the area now included in Adams, and within a short time other companies of Associators were formed. On February 14. 1775, the local Committee of Correspondence, at a meet- ing held in the Court House at York, re- corded that there were several companies of Associators within the limits of the county Saturday of each week was set apart for engaged in military drill and discipline military drill. The average number of men similar to the one at York. It further in a company was eighty, rank and file. stated that the commanding officers were The company could not go outside of Penn- the officers and men. willing to disband these companies if their sylvania without the vote of the majority of existence was not agreeable to the com- mittee. James Smith being chairman, de- clared in open meeting and had it recorded that the committee would not discourage the martial spirit of these Associators throughout York County, but on the con- trary reported: "we are of the opinion that said Associators if trained with prudence, moderation and a strict regard to good order, under the direction of a man of probity and understanding, would tend much to the security of this country against the attempts of our enemies."

The news from Lexington and Concord where the British had attacked the militia of Massachusetts, stimulated the military ardor of the Associators in York County, and it reached the highest point of tension

Immediately after his return to when these patriots heard of the battle of York, this ardent advocate of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. Immediately American liberty began the after the news was brought to York organization of the first mili- County, the military company commanded by Captain Michael Doudel, with Lieuten- ants Miller, Dill and Matson, began the march to join the patriot army under Wash- ington around Boston. The career of this company is told elsewhere in this volume.

The Revolution had now opened and all of the thirteen colonies were in a condition of rebellion. This state of affairs brought about a meeting of the Pennsylvania As- sembly, June 30, 1775, which by this time had become a patriotic body. Many of those in favor of the British crown had re- tired. The Assembly approved the organ- ization of Associators and passed resolu- tions agreeing in case of invasion to provide for necessary pay of officers and soldiers performing military duty while in active service. It recommended that the Board of Commissioners and . Assessors in each county provide a number of muskets or rifles with bayonets, cartridge boxes large enough for twenty rounds, and knapsacks. Three hundred were asked for the County of York. Every county was requested to' select a number of Minute Men equal to the number of arms, and to be in readiness upon the shortest notice to march to any quarter in case of emergency.

Immediately after the first company of volunteers under Captain Doudel and Lieu- tenant Miller began the march to Boston to join the army under Washington, the As- sociators began to organize for defensive operations in case their services were needed. A meeting of the local Committee of Safety and officers of the Associators was held in the county Court House at York, July 28th and 29th, 1775. It was presided over by James Smith. Under the authority of this meeting, York County was divided into five military districts.

Battalions Organized.

The associated companies then already formed in the town of York and the Townships of Hellam, Windsor, Manchester,

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THE REVOLUTION

York and Codorus, were organized into the first battalion of York County Associators under the command of James Smith, as colonel: Thomas Hartley, lieutenant-colo- nel: Joseph Donaldson and Michael Swope, majors.

The second battalion was formed from associated companies in the region of what is now part of Adams County, including the Townships of Cumberland, Hamilton Ban, Straban, Menallen, Mt. Joy and Tyrone, with Robert McPherson, colonel; David Kennedy, lieutenant-colonel; and Moses officers and privates gave their solemn McClean and Hugh Dunwoodie, majors.

The third battalion was formed from as- sociated companies in Heidelberg, Berwick, Paradise, Mt. Pleasant, Manheim and Ger- many Townships, with Richard McAllister, colonel; Henry Slagle, lieutenant-colonel; John Andrews and Joseph Jeffries, majors.

The fourth battalion was formed from the associated companies in Chanceford, Shrewsbury, Fawn and Hopewell Town- ships, with William Smith, colonel; Francis Holton, lieutenant-colonel; and John Gib- son and John Finley, majors.

The fifth battalion was formed from the associated companies in Dover, Newberry, Monaghan, Warrington, Huntingdon and Reading Townships, with William Rankin, colonel; Matthew Dill, lieutenant-colonel ; Robert Stevenson and Gerhart Graeff, majors.

Minute Men. At this same meeting for the or- ganization of battalions of Asso- ciators, under the authority of the Pennsylvania Conference, a bat- talion of Minute Men was organized with Richard McAllister, colonel : Thomas Hart- ley, lieutenant-colonel, and David Grier,

The Associators and Minute Men of York County who had already subscribed to the voluntary articles of association for de- fensive purposes, and which were the first prepared in any province or colony in the country, accepted thirty-two articles of as- sociation recommended by the Pennsyl- vania Conference. August 12, 1775. These articles provided for every contingency that might arise to the troops if called into active service. They were read in the presence of each company, after which

attestation. The preamble to these articles reads as follows :

"We, the officers and soldiers engaged in the present association for the defence of American liberty, being fully sensible that the strength and security of any body of men, acting together, consists in just regularity, due subordination and exact obedience to command, without which no individual can have that confidence in sup- port of those about him that is so necessary to give firmness and resolution to the whole. do voluntarily and freely, after consider- ation of the following articles, adopt the same as the rules by which we agree and resolve to be governed in all our military concerns and operations until the same, or any of them, shall be changed or dissolved by the Assembly, or Provincial Convention. or in their recess by the Committee of Safety, or a happy reconciliation shall take place between Great Britain and the Colonies."

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 44

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