USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 19
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 19
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 19
USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 19
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 1 > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
1 John Blair Linn's "Annals of the Buffalo Valley."
1
George Clark.
1.
1
11
1
J
96
JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
owned the Captain Bucher tract, where his descendants still reside, or a few of them, as the name is legion now. David Storm, where B. Lahr lives, on Esquire Cameron's farm. Rob- ert Scott, on Barber's place, White Springs. Jacob Speese lived, within our memory, in White Deer. William Speddy, see 1772. The ! Schocks, about Mifflinburg. Michael Smith, in East Buffalo, above Henry Mertz's. George Wolfe was the grandfather of Jonathan, of Lewisburgh.
From the region of Cumberland County, which is now Juniata, a considerable number of men went early to the field. Andrew Banks, in his recollections (1845), says, -
"The first troops that marched from here were those that joined the army of Gen. Montgomery (Arnold?), destined for Quebec. The writer had a first cousin on that expedition, belonging to the com- pany of the brave Hendricks, who fell at the head of his company, fighting at 'the barriers ;' but the fate of those worthy men is well known in the history of our country. The next troops that marched were two companies of volunteers, each company contain- ing eighty men, besides their officers; the one com- manded by Capt. Gibson, the other by Capt. Purdy. They repaired to the camp in the beginning of 1776 and performed a tour of two months. Afterwards the troops marched agreeably to their drafts, which order was continued. The writer also well recollects the enthusiastic joy manifested on the capture of Cornwallis, and the patriotic songs of those days are still familiar (one of which he gives)."
Captain John Hamilton, who lived within the present limits of Walker township, organ- ized a "Company of Horse," in what is now Juniata County, in 1776. The men composing it-of whom Hugh McAllister was the first to enlist-met at the house of William Sharon, in Fermanagh township, to perfect their organ- ization. (No roster of this company is pre- served in the State Archives, nor is elsewhere attainable.)
That portion of Cumberland which is now Perry evidently furnished the whole or greater portion of what was known as the Seventh Bat- talion of Cumberland County Militia, Colonel Frederick Watts1-for although there is no
! Colonel Watts lived and died in Wheatfield township, Perry County (which see for full sketch). He was the father of David Watts and grandfather of Judge Frederick
roster of the men attainable, that of the officers, which we reproduce," shows that nearly, if not quite all of them, lived within the present limits of Perry County. The troops, or a draft from them, went on a tour of duty early in 1776, for there is on record an order for money to be sent to Colonel Frederick Watts, to be used for defraying the expense of forwarding his men to camp, and he was at the surrender of Fort Washington, November 16, 1776. The roster of officers here given is, however, for the year 1777.
The following is a return of Seventh Bat- talion of the Cumberland County Militia, com- manded by Colonel Frederick Watts, 1777 :
Field and Staff .- Colonel, Frederick Watts; Lieuten- ant-Colonel, Samuel Ross; Major, David Mitchell.
First Company. - Captain, James Fisher ; First Lieutenant, Thomas Fisher ; Second Lieutenant, Rob- ert Scott; Ensign, Joseph Sharp,-fifty-eight rank and file.
Second Company .- Captain, James Power; First Lieutenant, David Marshall ; Second Lieutenant, Samuel Shaw; Ensign, John Kirkpatrick,-sixty- seven rank and file.
Third Company. - Captain, William Sanderson; First Lieutenant, George Black ; Second Lieutenant, John Simonton ; Ensign, Archibald Loudon,-forty- six rank and file.
Fourth Company .- Captain, William Blain ; First Lieutenant, James Blain; Second Lieutenant, Wil- liam Murray ; Ensign, Allen Nesbitt, -fifty-one rank and file.
Fifth Company. - Captain, Frederick Taylor; First Lieutenant, Daniel Hart; Second Lieutenant, Matthew McCoy; Ensign, Thomas Watson.
Sicth Company .- Captain, Edward Graham ; First Lieutenant, Thomas McCoy ; Second Lieutenant, Samuel Whitaker; Ensign, George Smiley,-seventy- eight rank and file.
Seventh Company. - Captain, John Buchanan; First Lieutenant, William Nelson; Second Lieuten- ant, James Ewing; Ensign, Benjamin Junkin,- fifty-five rank and file.
Eighth Company .- Captain, Thomas Clark ; First Lieutenant, Joseph Neeper; Second Lieutenant, John Nelson ; Ensign, John Gardner,-sixty-two rank and file.
Total Commissioned officers, 29; non-commis- sioned officers, 16; rank and file, 465.
Watts, now living at Carlisle. Hle served at Wyoming under Colonel Zebulon Butler, and was wounded there.
" This roster does not appear in the Pennsylvania Ar- chives, although the battalion or a draft from it went into the Continental service.
------
.
97
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Captain William Bratton, of that part of Cumberland County which is now Mifflin, where a township is named in his honor,1 went into the service originally as first lieutenant in Captain Robert Adams' company of the Sixth Pennsylvania Battalion, Colonel William Ir- vine, being commissioned January 9, 1776, and when that body was reorganized as the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, became captain of a company strengthened by recruiting. The Sixth Battalion went into the field in the sum- mer of 1776 and returned to Carlisle March 15, 1777. It was then that it was reorganized as the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line, and the men re-enlisted for three years, or the period of the war. The regiment was paid off and discharged at Car- lisle in April, 1781. Captain Bratton was wounded at the battle of Germantown. Fol- lowing is a roster of his company, which con- tains the names of many Cumberland men who were from that part of the county now in Mifflin, Juniata and Perry Counties, espe- cially the first, but they cannot now be desig- nated :
Captain : William Bratton. Lieutenant : Thomas MeCoy.
Ensign : William Armstrong.
Sergeants : Amos Chapman, February, 1777 ; Thomas Giles ; Timothy O'Neal, February, 1777.
Drummer : Edward Steen, April, 1777.
Fifer : John Waun, November 26, 1776.
Privates : John Beatty, February, 1777; William Carman, June 8, 1779; Patrick Carter ; John Daily, October 25, 1778; Daniel Dunnivan ; Ed- ward Edgarton, November 20, 1776; James El- liot; Henry German; Thomas Giles, promoted sergeant; Michael Gilmore, September 9, 1778; David Hall; Francis Henry ; James Higgins, June 3, 1778; Fergus Lee; Richard Lowden ; Peter Lloyd, November 20, 1776; Gilbert McCay ; Neal MeCay ; Patrick McDonald; John McGeghan, February, 1777; John McKean ; Peter Martin ; Fergus Moore, January, 1777; John Prent; William Redstone; Peter Rooney, April, 1777; John Ryan; Patrick Shockey, 1779; James Si- monton ; Thomas Simonton, 1779; John Taylor.
Major John Kelly, afterwards colonel, was in Colonel James Potter's battalion, one of the first men from the Buffalo Valley, who en-
listed in 1776 and particularly distinguished himself at the battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777. Washington, who had slipped away from Cornwallis at Trenton, made a forced march on Princeton, and had already won the battle there, when Cornwallis, having made a forced march, arrived near Stony Brook. Washington sent an order to Colonel Potter to destroy the bridge at Worth's Mills, on Stony Brook, in sight of the advancing British. Colonel Potter ordered Major Kelly to make a detail for that purpose. Kelly said he would not order another to do what some might say he was afraid to do himself. He took a detail and went to work. The British opened upon him a heavy fire of round shot. Before all the logs were cut off, several balls struck the log on which he stood and it broke down sooner than he expected, and he fell into the stream. His party moved off, not expecting him to escape. By great exertions he reached the shore through the high water and floating timbers, and fol- lowed the troops. Incumbered, as he was, with his wet and frozen clothes, he made a prisoner of an armed British scout and took him into camp. Colonel Kelly used to tell that during this tour, for three days at one time, there was no service of provisions, and during the march, before and after the battle, they were thirty-six hours under arms without sleep.
The Twelfth Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line, of which four companies were from Northumberland County and the others from Northampton County, was raised by authority of Congress, and among the last acts of the convention which had assembled in Philadelphia, to form a State Constitution, was the choice of its field officers, from its mem- bers, on September 28, 1776. William Cook, delegate from Northumberland, was made colonel ; Neigal Gray, who, after the war, moved to White Deer township, Union County, and died there in 1786, was made lieutenant- colonel; and James Crawford, delegate from Northumberland County, was chosen major. Peter Withington was the first captain, ap- pointed by the Council of Safety on October 1, and three days later, with the field officers, took the qualification directed by the convention.
' See Bratton township, in " History of Mifflin County." -1
1
!
1
1
I. 1
.
98
JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
On the same day (October 4th) Nicholas Miller and Hawkins Boone were appointed captains ; Thomas Brandon and Hananiah Lincoln, first lieutenants ; and Robert King and James Wil- liamson, second lieutenants. It was resolved that the commissions of all the captains and sub- alterns should be dated October Ist. On the 14th of October, John Brady and Major John Harris, both of Northumberland County, were ap- pointed captains ; Christopher Gettig, first lieu- tenant ; and Francis Allison, sergeant.1
The regiment went immediately into active service. Being composed mainly of good rifle- men, large drafts were made upon it for picket and skirmish duty. . A portion, under Boone, was sent into the northern army, and assisted in the capture of Burgoyne. At Brandywine the regiment lost heavily in officers and men, and at Germantown; so that after wintering at Valley Forge, the field officers were mustered out, the supernumerary line officers discharged and what remained of officers and men were distributed into the Third and Sixth Regiments, which arrangement went into effect July 1, 1777.
Captains John Brady and Hawkins Boone, Lieutenants Dougherty and Robert King were ordered home by General Washington to assist Colonel Hartley in protecting the West Branch Valley. Captain Brady, of whom we shall have more to say in this chapter, was killed by Indian scouts near the town of Muncy, April 11, 1779, and Captain Boone fell near Fort Freeland on the 29th of July, in the same year, while Dougherty also lost his life in the defence of the frontier, after passing safely through the hard campaigns of the Continental army. Their names will reappear in this history.
Following is a partial roster of the Twelfth Regiment, with some remarks as inserted by Mr. John Blair Linn :
Colonel : William Cooke, of Northumberland, com- missioned October 2, 1776.
Lieutenant-Colonel : Neigal Gray, of Northampton County ; he moved to Buffalo Valley after the war.
1 Col. Records, vol. x. p. 756 ; Archives (Second Series), vol. x. page 759.
Major: James Crawford, commissioned October 8, 1776; afterwards justice of the peace in Lycom- ing County, where he died.
Adjutant : Thomas Hanson.
Paymasters: Robert Levers; Thomas Dungan, ap- pointed April 29, 1777.
Quartermaster : George Vaughan.
Surgeon : Dr. Andrew Ledlie, of Easton. Surgeon's Mate : Aaron Woodruff.
Captains.
Peter Withington, commissioned October 1, 1776; took sick in Philadelphia in December, 1776; sent home to Reading, where he died May 11, 1777 ; his widow, Eve, survived him over fifty years, and died in Mifflinburg.
Nicholas Miller, appointed October 4, 1776, from Northumberland County ; died in 179-, in North- ampton County.
Hawkins Boone, appointed October 4, 1776 ; killed at Fort Freeland, July 28, 1779. .
John Brady, appointed October 14, 1776; badly wounded at battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777 ; killed by the Indians, April 11, 1779.
John Harris, appointed October 14, 1776.
Rev. Henry Mckinley, of Carlisle, appointed October 16, 1776.
Alexander Patterson, of Northampton County. William Work, appointed October 16, 1776.
Lieutenants.
Thomas Brandon, appointed October 4, 1776.
Hananiah Lincoln, appointed October 4, 1776; he was a sergeant in Captain George Nagel's com- pany, Colonel William Thompson's regiment, 1775-76; resigned after battle of Brandywine, and went to Daniel Boone's settlement in Ken- tucky ; he followed Boone to Missouri, where he died.
Christopher Gettig, appointed October 14, 1776, from Sunbury; wounded at Piscataway, N. J., May 11, 1777; taken prisoner, and had his leg amputated; justice of the peace many years afterward at Sun- bury ; his descendants reside near Bellefonte.
John Reily, appointed October 16, 1776; promoted captain, May 20, 1777 ; mustered out of service November 3, 1783.
Stephen Chambers, Esq, appointed October 16, 1776; promoted captain; one of the council of censors in 1783; delegate to the Federal Conven- tion December 12, 1787 ; wounded in a duel with Dr. Jacob Rieger on Monday, May 11, 1789; died on Saturday, 16th, at his house in Lancas- ter.
William McElhatton, appointed October 16, 1776; wounded at Bonhamtown, N. J., in right shoul- der; disabled, and transferred to the Invalid Corps July 1, 1779; died April 26, 1807.
John Henderson, appointed October 16, 1776. William Sayre, appointed October 16, 1776.
1.
1
99
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Second Lieutenants.
Robert King, October 4, 1776; promoted lieutenant
Third Pennsylvania May 20, 1777; left out of service June 23, 1779.
James Williamson, October 4, 1776.
Edward MeCabe, October 16, 1776.
John Hays, October 16, 1776.
Samuel Quinn, October 16, 1776.
John Boyd, of Northumberland, promoted lieutenant in Third Pennsylvania June 18, 1779; died Feb- ruary 13, 1832.
William Bard, October 1, 1776.
John Carothers, October 16, 1776 ; killed at German- town, October 4, 1777.
Robert Falconer.
Ensigns.
Benjamin Lodge, Jr., October 16, 1776; promoted lieutenant Sixth Pennsylvania, October 11, 1777. Thomas Hamilton, October 16, 1776,
William Ball Blackall, October 16, 1776 ; promoted lieutenant Third Pennsylvania 11th September, 1778; mustered out November 3, 1783.
William Boyd, appointed October 16, 1776; killed at Brandywine, September 11, 1777.
John Stone, October 16, 1776; resigned January 8, 1777; died March, 1792.
Stewart Herbert, October 16, 1776; promoted licu- tenant Sixth Pennsylvania January 9, 1778.
Andrew Engle, October 16, 1776 ; promoted lieutenant of Third Pennsylvania December 20, 1778; re- tired January 1, 1781.
Henry Stricker, October 16, 1776.
John Seeley, February 3, 1777.
John Armstrong, formerly sergeant; served until the end of the war, and promoted lieutenant in Cap- tain James Moore's corps.
Samuel Brady was in the fight at the Bran- dywine, and distinguished himself, a few days later-September 20, 1777-at the Paoli mas- sacre. He was on guard, and lay down with his blanket wrapped and buckled around him. The British were nearly on them before the sentinel fired. Brady ran; and as he jumped a fence, a soldier struck at him with a musket, and pinned his blanket to a rail. He tore the blanket, and dashed on. A horseman overtook him, and ordered him to stop. He wheeled and shot the horseman dead, and got into a small swamp, supposing no one in but himself. In the morning he found fifty-five men in it, whom he took under command and conducted to camp.1
1 Linn.
Captain Anthony Selin,2 of that part of Northumberland County which is now Snyder, and who died at Selinsgrove in 1792, com- manded a company (the Second) in the Baron De Ottendorfl's" corps, which was recruited in the spring of 1777, and continued in service until 1780, being ultimately merged into Ar- mand's legion.
Following is a roster of Captain Selin's com- pany, made in June, 1778 :
Captain: Anthony Selin, December 10, 1776; died
at Selinsgrove, Snyder County, 1792.
Lieutenants : Lawrence Myers, of Maryland, April 8, 1777 ; Christian Froelich.
Sergeants : Henry Bartholomew, John Blum, Val- entine Keyser, Henry Seiders.
Corporals : George Marks, John Walter.
Drummers : John Schuh, William Marks.
Fifer: John Thompson.
Privates.
Henry Bartholomew. Michael Eisoch.
Andrew Bengell.
John Adam Fetzler.
John Bengel. John Green.
John Blum.
Mathias Gentzoll.
Adolph Croselius.
Isaac Hool.
John Dowell. Patrick Hanley.
George Dehn.
George Hiller.
Henry Donich. John Hultry.
Wilhelm Dorn. Valentine Keyser.
Thomas Drisnoll. Henry Kirk.
John Eberts. Daniel Kline.
John Eisoch.
Gabriel Kline.
2 Captain Anthony Selin, founder of Selinsgrove, was commissioned by Congress, December 10, 1776, captain in Ottendorff's corps, and still in service in 1780, at Wyoming; died in 1792. His children were Anthony, Charles and Agnes. His wife was a sister of Governor Snyder, and Selin purchased the ground on which the town now is at the death of his brother-in-law, John Sny- der. Finding Snyder's plot would not fit, he re-surveyed the ground, laid it out anew and named it. . His son, An- thony Charles, was a major in the War of 1812. The widow of the latter, Mrs. Catherine Selin, died at the residence of her son-in-law, Robert Swineford, in Selins- grove, November 3, 1868, aged eighty-two, the last of the family name in the United States.
3 Nicholas Dietrich, Baron De Ottendorff, was a noble- man from Lusatia, Saxony, and had served in the "Seven Years' War" as a lieutenant under Frederick the Great. At the close of that struggle he became associated with Kosciuszko and Roman de Lisle, in Paris, and, on the breaking out of the Revolution, came with them to Amer- ica. The Baron was authorized by Congress to raise an independent corps, to consist of three companies, with a total of one hundred and fifty men.
-
. .
1
.1
٠٠٠
. .
100
JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Arnold Loos. James Ridgway.
George Maul.
John Rock.
Samuel Murden.
John Steinheizer.
John Philips.
Henry Till.
George Rex.
John Trow.
Andrew Reaberg.
John Walter.
John Ridey.
Samuel Ulett.
REVOLUTIONARY AFFAIRS ON THE FRONTIER.
INDIAN INVASION .- While companies of re- eruits were marching away to join the main army and participating in its campaigns, there was also activity in the sparsely-settled country they had left, and preparations were early made to guard the frontier against incursions by the Indians, which the people apprehended would be incited by the British. Their fears, as will presently be shown, were not without good grounds. A militia organization was effected all along the border in the fall of 1775.
For the upper division of Northumberland County, comprising Union and Snyder, and a part of Centre Counties (and much other territo- ry), officers were chosen for eleven companies of militia on the 12th of September, 1775, at Derr's (site of Lewisburgh), as appears from the certificate of William Scull, "chairman of the committee," dated Northumberland, January 24, 1776, and reading as follows :
" I do hereby certify that an election for field ofli- cers, held at Ludwig Derr's, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna, on Tuesday, the 12th day of Sep- tember last, the following gentlemen were regularly chosen for the upper division of the county of Northumberland, viz. : James Potter, Esquire, colo- nel; Robert Moodie, Esquire, lieutenant-colonel ; Mr. John Kelly, first major; Mr. John Brady, second major.
" WILLIAM SCULL, " Chairman of the Committee."
Then follows " a return of the names of the captains and other officers of the several companies in the upper division of the county of Northumberland, with the ranks of said companies and number of men," __
Arthur Taggart, first captain; Cornelius Atkinson, first lieutenant; James McClung, second lieutenant ; James Wilson, ensign,-eighty-five privates.
William Gray, second captain ; William Clark, first lieutenant ; James Murdoch, second lieutenant ; Wil- liam Thompson, ensign, -ninety privates.
David Berry, third captain ; William Hammon,
first lieutenant; Israel Parsels, second lieutenant ; Benjamin Burt, ensign,-forty-five privates.
Samuel Dale, fourth captain; William Bennett, first lieutenant ; Hawkins Boone, second lieutenant; Jesse Weeks, ensign,-sixty-seven privates.
Cookson Long, fifth captain; William Muckle- hatton, first lieutenant; Robert Fleming, second lieutenant; Robert Fleming, junior, ensign, -- fifty- nine privates,
Samuel Wallis, sixth captain ; John Scudder, first lieutenant; Peter Jones, second lieutenant; James Hampton, ensign,-ninety-one privates.
James Murray, seventh captain; William Murray, first lieutenant ; Thomas Plunket, second lieutenant ; Andrew Robinson, ensign, -sixty privates.
Henry Antes, eighth captain ; Thomas Brandon, first lieutenant ; Alexander Hamilton, second lieu- tenant; Simon Cole, ensign,-fifty-eight privates.
John McMillan, ninth captain ; John McConnol, first lieutenant; John McCormick, second lieuten- ant; Charles Wilson, ensign,-forty-three privates.
David Hayes, tenth captain ; Charles Clark, first lieutenant ; Thomas Gray, ensign,-forty-one pri- vates.
Philip Davis, eleventh captain ; James Aspey, first lieutenant; John Nelson, second lieutenant ; Jacob Fulmore, ensign,-seventy-four privates.
" NORTHUMBERLAND, 24th January, 1776.
"I do hereby certify the above to be a true return of the several companies which form the battalion in the upper division of the county of Northumberland, as delivered in to me.
" WILLIAM SCULL, " Chairman of the Committee."
The Convention of 1776, by an ordinance dated September 3d, created a new Council of Safety, of which Samuel Hunter and John Weitzel were the members for Northumberland County, and John Lowdon, of Silver Spring, near Mifflinburg, became member of the Supreme Executive Council by choice of the voters in the district composed of Northumber- land, Northampton, Bedford and Westmore- land Counties.
That the inhabitants of the territory now in- cluded in the counties which are the especial province of this work were in fear of Indian invasion as early as 1776 is clearly shown by the records of the State Convention of that year. On July 29th, John Kelley and Walter Clark, who were in attendance, petitioned the Council of Safety for aid, stating that they had just grounds to believe that the county (Northumberland) would be disturbed by the
1
-! r.
1 1
£
1
:
1
1
101
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Indians, and stated that there was not sufficient ammunition in the county for the four bat- talions already raised.
In a letter dated Paxtang, August 27, 1776, John Harris says, --
"The Indians, to the northward, southward, and westward, are for war against us, as I am informed by a letter from Northumberland County, by their post, two days ago. The Susquehanna Indians are only for peace with us. About twenty Indians (enemies), men, women and children, have been many days past at Sunbury, and make said report."
A body of Indians, of the Seneca and Muncy tribes, were induced by Captain John Brady to come down to Fort Augusta to make a treaty, in August, 1776, but nothing seems to have been accomplished in that direc- tion. The party stopped at Ludwig Derr's trading-house (site of Lewisburgh) on their way back and got very drunk, Derr knocking the head out of a barrel of whiskey and furnishing them with tin-cups to drink from. Their de- bauch was cut short by Captain John, who, arriving on the scene and fearing the conse- quences of their unlimited indulgence, kicked the barrel over, greatly to their disgust. The Indians finally returned peaceably enough, and it was not until 1777 that they made any organ- ized movements against the frontier settlements. Notwithstanding their inactivity, preparations were made for the troubles which it was appre- hended the near future would bring.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND COMMITTEE OF SAFETY .- The account of these plans for the protection of the frontier against the savages is perhaps best given in transcripts from the records of the Committee of Safety of Northumberland County ' (from February 8, 1776, to April 17, 1777).
" 8th of February, 1776 .- The following gentlemen, being previously nominated by the respective town- ships to serve in this committee, for the county of Northumberland, for the space of six months, met at the house of Richard Malone, viz. :
"Augusta township .- John Weitzel, Esquire; Alex- ander Hunter, Esquire, Thomond Ball.
" Mahoning township .-- William Cook, Esquire, Benjamin Allison, Esquire, Mr. Thomas Hewet.
! Publication of Pennsylvania Historical Society, 1846 ; also Linn's .' Buffalo Valley."
" Turbut township .- Captain John Hambright, Wil- liam MeKnight, William Shaw.
" Muncey township .- Robert Robb, Esquire, Wil- liam Watson, John Buckalow.
" Bald Eagletownship .- Mr. William Dunn, Thomas Hughes, Alexander Hamilton.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.