History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 12

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

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authority to survey lands, vet he was de- prived of his land and improvements. Fred erick Ebert removed from the east side of the river, and took up a tract of land near Codo- rus Creek, cleared and improved it and sowed a field of wheat with intent to build a house and settle thereon. In May, 1736, the sur- veyor Franklin, with Cressap and others, came and surveyed the land to one Ffelty Shultz, and threw down the fence and de- stroyed the corn, and deprived Ebert of his settlement. Michael Tanner, by virtue of a proprietary grant, dated September 17, 1734, settled on a tract of 200 acres of land, six miles southwesterly from John Hendricks, and built and improved upon the same. Thomas Cressap, pretending to have an order from the Governor of Maryland, came into the neighborhood and surveyed upward of forty tracts of land for Germans living in those parts. Tanner refused to have his land surveyed by Cressap, who thereupon conveyed the land, with buildings and improvements, to Daniel Lowe, who, with his family, came and dwelt in the house, although about the month of September, 1735, the Governor of Maryland and the Surveyor-General told Tanner that Cressap had no authority to sur- vey lands .* Many Germans, however, were induced to accept of the Maryland warrants and surveys, but not finding things as agree- able as they anticipated under the new pro- prietary, they revolted and acknowledged allegiance to Pennsylvania.

THE REVOLT OF THE GERMANS.

At a meeting of the Provincial Council held at Philadelphia, August 24, 1736, the President, James Logan, acquainted the Board that he had been informed by Samuel Blunston that the Dutch people, or Germans, who, with others had gone over from this side of the Susquehanna River to the west of it, had been prevailed on by some agents from Maryland to acknowledge the authority of that province, and had through a consciousness of their mistake, voluntarily and unanimously signified to him and other magistrates of that county, their fixed resolution of returning to their obedience to this government, and acknowledging its just jurisdiction in those parts where they are settled, for that they were become truly, sensible they of right belonged to Pennsylvania. Mr. Blunston related thal immediately after the County Court at Lan. caster, which was held the first week of the month, some of the most principal note amongst those Germans came over to hin

*I Archives, 465-70.

+III Col. Rec., 612-14.

ȘI Archives, 489.

*I Archives, 522-5.

BORDER TROUBLES.

and told him that the whole body of the peo- ple, except Cressap, and his relations, who were but three or four men, were come to an unanimous resolution of acknowledging their obedience to this government, and returning to their true proprietors. He advised them to act openly and above board, and that if they were thus resolved, they should directly and in plain terms make it known to the gov. ernment of Maryland with their reasons for their proceedings; that thereupon a letter was prepared for that purpose, which was signed by about sixty hauds and dispatched to an officer in Baltimore County to be for- warded to the Governor of Maryland. At the desire of those Germans, the magistrates of Lancaster had two constables amongst them for the better preservation of the peace. The four men who adhered to Cressap seized Charles Jones, one of the constables, and were hurrying him away with an inten- tion to carry him off, but, being warmly pur- sued, they fled and left him. It was given out that the Sheriff of Baltimore County was to be up with a number of men on Mon- day (the 23d), and that the Sheriff of Lancas- ter had apprised him of some other motions on the west of the Susquehanna, and was taking horse to meet him to concert proper measures on the occasion. The Council were of the opinion that those people becom- ing sensible of their past mistake, in being induced to own the authority of Maryland over those parts which lie so very far, viz. : about twenty miles to the northward of the limits of this province, ought to be taken notice of, and on their making proper sub- missions should be again received. On Sep- tember 7. 1736, a Jetter was laid before the Board from the Lieutenant-Governor of Mary- land in regard to this revolt. *

Gov. Ogle: "This trouble is occasioned by the inclosed, the original whereof came to my hands a few days ago, subscribed with the names of fifty or sixty per- sons, who some years since importuned me for the grant of lands under the author- ity and government of the lord propri- etary of Maryland. They were so successful in their applications that I directed and empowered them to settle and improve the lands under the government of this province, and which they have from that time held and enjoyed subject to his Lordship's dominion and authority. But now they seem to think fit and resolve, by a most extraordinary kind of illegal combination or association, to disown their obedience to the government from whom they received their possessions, and to trans-

fer it to the government of Pennsylvania. Whatever reasons I may have to be assured of this proceeding taking its rise and accom- plishment from the encouragement and pre- valency of some magistrates of your govern- ment, and others pretending to act under the countenance and authority thereof, yet I must own my unwillingness to believe those who have the honor of the administration of the government of Pennsylvania, would permit or support a behaviour so contrary to all good order and rule of the English Constitution, as must necessarily involve the subjects of his Majesty in struggles and contentions, incon- sistent with that peace and happiness his Majesty so gloriously endeavors to maintain and preserve amongst others, as well as his subjects."*

The paper transmitted with this letter is as follows: "Sir: The oppression and ill usage we have met with from the government of Maryland, or at least from such persons who have been impowered thereby and their pro- ceedings connived at, has been a treatment (as we are well informed) very different from that which the tenants of your government have generally met with, which, with many other cogent reasons, give us good cause to conclude the Governor and magistrates of that province do not themselves believe us to be settled within the real bounds of his Lordship's dominions, but we have been se- duced and made use of, first by fair promises and afterward by threats and punishments, to answer purposes which are at present un- justifiable and will, if pursued, tend to our utter ruin. We, therefore, the subscribers, with many others, our neighbors, being be- come at last truly sensible of the wrong we have done the proprietors of Pennsylvania in settling on their lands without paying obedi- ence to their government, do resolve to re- turn to our duty, and live under the laws and government of Pennsylvania, in which province we believe ourselves seated. To this we unanimously resolve to adhere, till the contrary shall be determined by a legal decision of the disputed bounds, and our honest and just intentions we desire may be communicated to the Governor of, Maryland, or whom else it may concern. Signed with our hands this eleventh day of August, Anno Domini, 1736."+

THE INVASION OF THE THREE HUNDRED.

There was read at the meeting of the Coun- cil on the 7th of September, the examination of Francis Kipps of Maryland, master of a tlbid, 62. *IV Col. Rec., 60.

*IV Col. Rec., 58.

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

sloop then lying in Susquehanna River, taken September 4, 1736. That on Thursday last, the 2d instant, in the evening, being in Baltimore County, he saw Col. Hall, a gentleman of that county; at the head of a considerable number of men on horseback armed with guns, marching toward the upper part of the said county, that passing near to Col. Hall, he asked him familiarly if he was going to fight, to which Mr. Hall answered he was going on peaceable terms. That crossing Susquehanna, near the Northeast Iron Works, he came the same evening into Cecil County, where he understood by com- mon report that the march of these men, un- der Col. Hall, was to give possession to one Cressap of a plantation of one Wright; that if the same could not be done peaceably they were to use force. That he heard the militia of Cecil County were summoned to meet to- gether. On the 8th of September, the Gov- ernor laid before the Board a letter, written by the direction of Mr. Blunston, giving the following account:

That after the Sheriff of Lancaster, and some people with him, who were gathered together on the report that an armed force from Maryland was coming up into those parts, had waited some time and were dis- persed. the Sheriff of Baltimore County, with upward of 200 men, under the com- mand of several military officers, arrived on Saturday night last, the 4th of this month, at Thomas Cressap's, and on Sunday, about noon, came in arms on horseback, with beat of drum and sound of trumpet, to tbe planta- tion of John Hendricks. The Sheriff of Bal- timore, and several of those officers went that afternoon to the house of John Wright, Jr., where about thirty inhabitants of Lancaster were assembled and demanded the Dutch, of whom some were then in that house. The Sheriff of Lancaster had sent a written mes- sage desiring to know the reason of their coming in that hostile manner to threaten the peace of the province, to which they had returned answer that they were not come to disturb the peace of the province of Penn- sylvania but to suppress riots, and keep the peace of Baltimore County. Justice Guest, one of the number from Maryland, appointed 10 o'clock next day to speak with some of our people, but about 5 o'clock on Sunday evening, the multitude from Maryland left Hendricks with great precipitation, and returned to Cressap's. On Monday the Sheriff of Lancaster sent another message in writing. requiring them to peaceably depart, and offering, if any of them would meet the magistrates of the county with some other

persons, who were on this occasion assembled with him, and endeavor amicably to settle the unhappy differences at present subsisting, that they should be received civilly. To this message the Sheriff of Lancaster had returned to him a threatening and insolent answer. Soon after this one John Wilkins, an inhab- itant of Lancaster County, who had gone down toward Cressap's, was taken prisoner on pretense of his having been in a former riot, and sent under a guard to Maryland. The magistrates of Lancaster sent a letter to reclaim him, but they refused to receive the letter. It was reported that the Governor of Maryland was waiting in Baltimore County, and was expected up in those parts, on Sus- quehanna, with considerable more force. The Sheriff of Lancaster had got about 150 people together at John Wright's, Jr., where they had continued since Sunday evening. No hostilities had been vet committed, except in taking Wilkins; but the Marylanders had sent word to our people to take care of their buffs. The , inhabitants, though unprovided with arms and ammunition, yet endeavored to defend themselves and such of his Majesty's peace able subjects as fled from their houses to them for refuge .*

Benjamin Chamberst deposed that some- time in the month of September, 1736, prep- arations were making by training and mustering the militia of Baltimore County, Md., in order for their marching into Lan- caster County to disposses of their settlements sundry families. He was employed by the magistrates to go into Baltimore County to discover what was intended by the extraor. dinary motion of their troops. When he came to the borders of Maryland, he was informed that the place of their muster was near the plantation of Col. Nathaniel Rigby, at the upper part of Baltimore County, and repaired thither. He was taken into custody and kept during the time of the muster, and held twelve hours, in which he observed a general discontent among the common sol- diers. Col. Rigby called for the muster roll, and upbraided the men with want of duty to the Governor's orders, and thereupon picked off a number of them out of his company, and commanded them, on the penalty of £50, to meet at the same place next Friday with arms and twenty charges of powder and balls each man, to march up Susquehanna

*IV Col. Rec., 63.

+Benjamin Chambers was the founder of Chambersburg, then heing twenty-three years of age. These depositions were taken under the authority of the Provincial Council, and were Ifansmitted to the agent of the province in London, in support to the petition to his Majesty.

BORDER TROUBLES.

River to a place called Conejohela. Col. Rigby said it was very strange that a Quaker government should offer to resist or oppose Lord Baltimore, for that his Lordship's province of Maryland extended six miles higher or more northward than the plantation of John Hendricks, which lies on the west side of the said river, where on the Sunday following he saw the several troops or com- panies which came up from Maryland, with drums beating and trumpets sounding, were mustering or exercising in the field of the same plantation, from whence, upon the appearance of some men in flats coming over the river from the other side, the troops re- turned to Thomas Cressap's .*

Robert Barber, one of the people called Quakers. affirmed on the 11th of September, that on Sunday last several of the inhabitants of the Province of Maryland, to the number of about 300, all armed in a hostile manner, under the command of several officers of the militia of Maryland, with beat of drum and sound of trumpet, marched up to the house of John Hendricks. Some of the magistrates of the county of Lancaster. being at the house of John Wright. Jr., a small distance from the said Hendrick's house, demanded of Col. Edward Hall, who was said to be the commanding officer, the reason of his and the said company's coming up there in so hostile a manner. Col. Hall told the magistrates that they had no orders to treat with any of the magistrates of Lancaster County; that it was by the Governor of Maryland's order they came up there, and that thirteen com- panies of the militia of Maryland were mus- tered, and that twenty men with officers were taken out of each company, and he refused to give any further account. That several of the inhabitants came to the magistrates very much terrified and complained that some of the aforesaid company of armed men had forcibly broken into their houses and threat- ened to burn them, and took from them several pieces of linen.

John Ross deposed that he was dispatched with a written message to the Sheriff of Bal- timore County, who was said to have come up with the militia, to know the meaning of this extraordinary procedure of the people of Maryland, and setting forward, with James Pattison for his guide, he met, within a mile and a half of Wright's house, a body of men on horseback to the number of about 300, armed with guns, cutlasses, and some with pistols, marching with beat of drum and sound of trumpet. He saw several per- sons, who were called officers of this militia,

or commanders, whose names he afterward learned were Edward Hall and Nathaniel Rigby, called Colonels, and Peca and Guest, called Captains. William Hammond, Sheriff of Baltimore County, was with them. He delivered his message to Col. Rigby, who ap- peared to be the. principal person ; Rigby told him they were marching forward to the house of John Wright. Thomas Cressap, who was with the militia, seized Pattison. telling the Sheriff of Baltimore that he was a £50 chap, and bid the sheriff look in the proclamation and he would find Pattison's name there. The militia, marching on with beat of drum and sound of trumpet in a war- like manner, came to the plantation of John Hendricks, and sent a message in writing to the Sheriff of Lancaster. Some of the mili- tia officers came to Wright's house and de- sired to speak with some Dutch men, Michael Tanner and Peter Gardner. But these people, declaring their apprehensions that the Mary- landers were come to carry them away, be- cause they would not acknowledge the juris- diction of Maryland in those parts where they were settled, the officers were told they could not see them. But the Dutch sent a message to them in writing. Ross went to the house of Hendricks after the militia was come there, and saw several of them with their swords drawn at the door of the house. Toward evening a considerable number of people, of Lancaster County, came over the river in three flats, whereupon the militia of Maryland beat their drum, and, as he believed, intended to stand to their arms, for they marched toward the river in a body, but after firing a blunderbuss, they thought fit to retreat to the house of Thomas Cressap. The Sheriff and Col. Rigby refused to meet the magistrates of Lancaster in conference. Ross saw several of the militia cutting bars of lead and making bullets, and, enquiring what use they intended for them, he was told they were to shoot Pennsylvanians. The militia of Maryland marched about noon to the houses of Joshua Minshall, Mark Evans, and Bernard Weymont. One John Hendricks, who was with the militia, found means to decoy one John Wilkins, an inhabitant of Lancaster County, who was seized and car- ried to Cressap's, from whence they sent him, bound, under a guard, to Maryland. It was pretended Wilkins was one of those for whom a reward was offered by proclamation. The people of Lancaster County, who were met at Wright's house, being grown numer- ous, and resolving to stand upon their de- fense, the militia of Maryland did not think fit to attack them, but separated in two bod-

* I Archives, 519.

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

ies, one of which went with the sheriff to the houses of some Dutch men, where they took some linen and pewter on pretense of public dues owing to the government of Maryland. The other body went toward Maryland .* Daniel Southerland deposed that he was at the house of Thomas Cressap, when the 300 men who came up from Mary- land were there. That the men who were called the soldier's blamed Cressap very much for the disturbances that had happened in those parts, and they did not think they were obliged to go fight with the people of Penn- sylvania in Cressap's behalf. To which Cressap swore, and said that they were only afraid of their mothers' calf skins, and that it was Lord Baltimore's right he was main- taining, and he disregarded all of them, for he had the Governor of Maryland's orders for what he did. Cressap called Col. Hall, who commanded the 300 militia from Mary- land, a coward for not suffering him to fire with a blunderbuss upon the people of Penn- sylvania, who were coming over the river in a flat toward the Marylanders, who were in

arms. He affirmed that Lord Baltimore would soon be over in Maryland, and then he would drive all the Pennsylvanians to the devil, and the court in Philadelphia would be called in Lord Baltimore's name.

The invasion of the 300 of the Maryland militia is a remarkable incident of the bor- der troubles. It was made after consider- able preparation. William Hammond, the Sheriff of Baltimore County, declared "that the people of Baltimore County are not come to disturb the peace of the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, but to assist and support me in preserving his Lordship's peace, and our fel- low tenants, his Majesty's subjects, in their possessions." Yet, before leaving, they des- poiled the houses of the Germans on pretense of public dues. They also threatened to burn them. Michael Tanner talked with them, and they promised, if the Germans would return, a remission of their taxes till they were grown better able to pay, and that they should be better used for the future. Tanner was to give an answer for his country- men in two weeks, " but, at the end thereof, it was threatened, if they did not comply, the Governor would come up with a greater num- ber of armed men, turn them out of doors, and bring up others with him, such as would be true to him, whom he would put into their possessions."+

In the course of the proceedings there was an answer of the Germans to the Governor of

Maryland, in which, among other things, it is said: "that being greatly oppressed in their native country, principally on account of their religion, they resolved, as many others had done before, to fly from it. That, hearing much of the justice and mildness of the government of Pennsylvania, they em- barked in Holland for Philadelphia, where, on their arrival, they swore allegiance to King George, and fidelity to the proprietors of Pennsylvania, and their government. That, repairing to the great body of their countrymen settled in the county of Lancas- ter, on the east side of the Susquehanna, they found the lands there generally taken up and possessed, and therefore some of them, by licenses from the proprietors of Pennsylvania, went over that river, and settled there under their authority, and others, according to a common practice then obtaining, sate down with a resolution to comply as others should with the terms of the government when called on, but they had not been long there till some pretending au- thority from the government of Maryland, insisted on it, that that country was in that province, and partly by threats of actual force, and partly by very large promises, they had been led to submit to the commands of that government. That first one Morris Roberts, pretending to be a deputy surveyor under Maryland, came and run out lands for them, after which Cressap told them those surveys were not valid, but that he had au- thority to lay them out. Then one Franklin (who took pay of them, but it proved all a sham, for he understood nothing of the sur- veyor's art.) Yet, notwithstanding all these impositions, they had neither grant nor war- rant, nor would any of those surveyors, real or pretended, give them one line of a certifi- cate, plot or draught, nor had they anything whatever from Maryland more than the bare possession to claim by, and as any of those who came to survey were obliged or other wise they, at their own will and pleasure, turned the possessors off and put others in their place." " Now, this being our case, that on the one hand we are per- suaded in our consciences we are clearly with- in the Province of Pennsylvania, and there- fore cannot but expect to lose our possessions and improvements, if we now pretend to hold them under the Lord Baltimore, and, on the other hand, from the military force lately sent against us from Maryland, we are threatened to be treated by that government like rebels and enemies to our Gracious Sovereign, King George, to whom we have sworn allegiance, if we do not, against those

*I Archives, 525.

+IV Col. Rec., 69.

BORDER TROUBLES.

manifest convictions of our consciences dis- own the right of the proprietors of Pennsyl- vania to what we truly believe belongs to them, and resist the authority of that govern- ment, which, were we resolved to do, yet we should not be able. We offer it to the Gov- ernor's consideration whether the treating of a parcel of conscientious, industrions, and peaceable people, like rebels, for no other reason than because we cannot own a jurisdic- tion within the limits of which we very well know we cannot, where we now are, possibly be seated, and because we are convinced of the mistakes we had been fully led into by the false assertions of persons of no credit." *

A petition, signed by forty-eight Germans, was transmitted to the President and Council at Philadelphia. asking that their errors in settling under the government of Maryland be imputed to want of better information, and praying to be received under the pro- tection of our laws and government, where- upon the Board unanimously declared that those Dutch people be received under the protection of this government, and encour- aged in their fidelity to it by all proper and prudent measures. And on the 17th of September, 1736, they issued a proclama- tion setting forth the late invasion from Maryland, in violation of his Majesty's peace, and just rights of the proprietors and people of this province, to the great terror of the inhabitants, and directing the sheriff's of the respective counties of the province, and particularly of Lancaster, where these late commotions had happened, to hold them- selves in readiness with the posse of their respective counties for the preservation of his Majesty's peace and the defense of the just rights and possessions of his subjects within the same. f

The following paper was also presented:

Whereas, we, the subscribers, are informed it has been asserted that the late resolutions of the Dutch inhabitants on the west side of Susquehanna River, to put themselves under the protection of the government of Pennsylvania and submit to the laws thereof, was occasioned by the prevalency and influ- ence of the magistrates of Lancaster County, Do voluntarily & solemnly declare that we were chos- en & appointed by the afs'd Dutch inhabitants on the west side of Susquehanna River, Opposite to Hempfield, to apply in our own and their Behalf to the magistrates of the said county, that we might be received as subjects of this Government, as we Be- lieved in our Consciences it was our Duty; and we do further Solemnly declare & Affirm that this Asso- ciation & Return was made of theirs and Our Own meer motion and free will, without any previous persuasion, threatening or compulsion from the Magistrates of the said County, or any other per- son in their Behalf, so far as we know; and that the

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 12

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104