History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 58

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
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USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 58

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No.

NAMES.

Rank.

Dates of Ap- To what polatment or Enlist- meat. Time En- Caged or Es- listed.

Joseph Markle.

Captain.

Sept. 12, 1812 Sept. 12, 1813

Humphrey Fullerton

Ist Lieut

Daniel Waltz

2d Lieut.

Jacob Markle.

Cornet.

John C. Plumer.

Ist Bergt.

Samuel H. Dailey

3d Sergt.

John Marshall

4th Sergt.

William Skelly

Ist C'orp.

James Sloan.

3d Corp.

Henry Breneman.

4th Corp.

James Smith.

Saddler.

George Fregs.

Farrier.

John Benuett

Peter Broadsword

John Beckett.

15 Isaiah Burgen

16 Robert Campbell

17 James Conner.

1×

Findley Carnahan

Robert Cooper

Joseph Chambers

21 Samuel Davis ..

Samuel Hamilton

Stephen Lowry

James McGuffy

John Milligan.

William Miller.

John McCammont.

Robert McGuffin.

John McClain

Nathan McGrew.

Jonathan Mcclintock

William McClurg.

William Logue ..

John Robison

Jonathan Robison.

Charles Sholl.

Samuel Stoflett

James Selby.

John Stone

Samuel Shepler

William Thompson

Matthew Thompson

Jacob Weaver.

James Alexander.

James Guffy

Thompson Carnahan.

Thomas McGrew

Stephen Rowan ...

Samuel Montgomery.

In the Greensburg and Indiana Register for Oct. 1, 1812, is the following :

"On Tuesday evening last the drafted militia for the First Brigade, Thirteenth Division, marched from this place to Pittsburgh."

I See additional lista in Appendix "Q."

Elsewhere is the following extract from a letter dated at Pittsburgh, Sept. 24, 1812, in which we have notice of the company :

"Yesterday the ' Pittsburgh More,' commanded by Captain Butler, sad the ' Grecesberg Bife Company,' Captain J. B. Alezsader, left this on their way to join General Harrison. They embarked on beard boats, sad will preceed by water nearly to Cincinnati. On Tuesday the West- moreland trong of cavalry, Captain Markle, sise loft this ce the march ! to Urtmana."

This company of cavalry was regarded by Gen. Harrison, an account of their orderly behavior and military appearance, as the first troop of United States volunteer cavalry in the Northwestern Army. They were connected with the squadron of Maj. James V. Ball, and throughout the entire campaign are fre- quently mentioned, and never without approbation and honor.

The detachment sent to the Mississinewa towns consisted of Col. Simeral's regiment of Kentucky Volunteers ; Maj. James Ball's squadron of United States Dragoons; Capt. John B. Alexander's com- pany of riflemen from Westmoreland; Capt. Joseph Markle's troop of horse, also from Westmoreland; Capt. James Butler's light infantry company of Pittsburgh Blues, and of several other companies and squadrons from Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio.

These troops were commanded by Lieut .- Col. John B. Campbell, of the Nineteenth United States Regi- ment. The season of the year was an inclement one, and the route of march was through a wilderness. They, however, about the middle of December reached the Mississinewa. They followed this stream towards its mouth, and when they were within about twenty miles of the first Indian town, Col. Campbell, ih a council, asked the advice of his officers. They advised to march all night and take the enemy by surprise. This was agreed to; but when they reached the town one of the Kentucky volunteers giving a war-whoop precluded the intended and expected surprise con- templated by giving warning to the Indians. But notwithstanding this eight of their warriors were killed, and forty-two men, women, and children were taken prisoners.

The detachment then pressed on, and destroyed three other Indian towns farther down. They then returned to the site of the first one.

At this place on the 18th of December they were attacked by several hundred Indians. These were

" In the Greensburg and Indiana Register for Sept. 12, 1812, is the fol- lowing:

" COMMUNICATION.

" BORBUTOWN, Sept. 3, 1812.

"In consequence of the expected march of Capt. Markle and hle troop, the citizens of this place and viciuity met, and agreed to treat the troup to a dinner. Against 3 o'clock they had an Ox of 4 or 500 weight roasted whole, when the troop marched up in order, attended by about 400 citizens, and partook of the good cheer provided. After dinner the following toasts were drank, with many others, amidst the acclamations of the largest concourse of citizens ever seen in this place."

In the issue of the same paper for Oct. 1, 1812, it appears that eleven had denerted from Capt. Markle's company, as he offers a reward therein for their apprehension.

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William Robison

John Morrison

2d Corp.

Robert Skelly.

9 William Craig.

Trumpeter.

Private.

Daniel Fleming

Findley McGrew

₹

Samuel Miller.

2d Sergt.

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WAR OF EIGHTEEN-TWELVE.

concealed in the edge of the forest, behind fallen trees, and opened fire upon the whites before they were discovered. But a charge was made upon them, and from the advantage the whites had in their squad- ron of horse, the Indians were dislodged and driven out from their hiding-places and before the troops. Forty dead warriors were left on the field, and the rest were driven off. Twelve of the Americans were killed and about thirty wounded. Among the killed was Lieut. Waltz, of Capt. Markle's troop. The action of this troop, and particularly of Lieut. Waltz, was described as gallant.

The chief object of this expedition was to prevent the Indians from having a harboring-place of safety from which they could issue and intercept the inter- course between the settlements and Fort Wayne, then occupied by our troops, and to drive them towards the St. Joseph's, in Michigan, so that they could not waylay the parties passing and repassing, and that they might not concentrate, as they had been in the habit of doing, on the Maumee. The object in a great measure was accomplished.

The detachment then returned back to the main army, and in their march they suffered intensely from cold, hunger, and fatigue. No less than one hundred and eighty men had their limbs frozen. But the loss of the Indians was terrible, and the success of the campaign prevented them from attempting attacks on the settlements. It has been pronounced on all hands to have been one of the best conducted cam- paigns of 1812.

The following general order, issued Jan. 9, 1813, especially refers to Capt. Alexander :

"HEADQUARTERS N. W. ARNT, FRANKLINTON, 9th Jan., 1813.

"GENERAL ORDERS.

" As Capt. Bradford's Company is much reduced, the Detachment under the command of Lieut. Percival will continue to do duty with it. " Capt. Alexander, of the U. 8. 12 Months Volunteers, as senior Cap- tain, will take command of the Battalion composed of his own and Capt. Butler and McRais' companies. Lt .- Col. Campbell will march the Detachment of Regular Troops from his place to Upper Sandusky as soon as that part of it which served on the late expedition to Missis- dinaway are able to perform that duty.

"Capt. Alezander will receive farther orders from the General with regard to the marching of the volunteers.

" L. HASKILL, "As. Dy. Adjt. General."

On the 1st of February, 1813, Capt. Alexander was promoted to major of infantry volunteers, and a com- mission issued to him signed by James Madison, President.

Harrison, in 1818, having determined upon a winter campaign for the recovery of Detroit and the Michi- gan Territory, determined to occupy a line of forts from Fort Wayne to the foot of the Rapids. Gen. Winchester was to move towards the latter point, erect block-houses, and make arrangements to hold that region. After an advance and a contemplated engagement with Gen. Proctor of the British forces by a force preceding the army, reinforced by other

troops, the plan laid out by Winchester was to a cer- tain extent frustrated, so that he was compelled to erect a strong fortification at the Rapids, and there to organize an army to make that a base for supplies for the campaign in the spring. A fortress was here built called Fort Meigs. It was situated on the south- east side of the River Maumee, and near to the battle- ground where Gen. Wayne defeated the Indians in 1794. The fort was situated on a rising ground, sur- rounded by a prairie for the distance of a hundred and fifty yards, then by a piece of woods, beyond which was another prairie.

Fort Meigs was left in command of Gen. Leftwitch, with his Virginia troops, and about two hundred and fifty Pennsylvanians. Col. Wood, of the regular army, had charge of the engineering. Gen. Harrison went to Cincinnati to urge forward reinforcements.

Towards the beginning of April, 1813, the enemy were collecting in considerable numbers for the pur- pose of laying siege to Fort Meigs. Gen. Leftwitch, with his Virginians, left the fort, for what cause is not definitely known ; but the Pennsylvania troops, although their term of service had expired, volun- teered for its defense. Harrison, on the knowledge of these affairs, and knowing that the post was in danger from a siege on the side of the greatly superior forces of the British and Indians, hastened forward, and on the 11th of April, 1818, arrived at the fort with reinforcements for the relief of the Pennsylva- nians, who now composed the garrison. Preparations were made for the approaching siege. The force there now amounted to twelve hundred, and under the directions of the engineers they labored day and night in constructing defenses. On the 28th of April, 1813, the British army appeared in Maumee Bay. Orders were sent out to hasten the arrival of Gen. Greene Clay, who was advancing with twelve hun- dred Kentucky volunteers. The British landed and, bestowing their Indian allies, began to invest the place. The garrison was ordered on active duty, and while the British were erecting their batteries the Americans were raising their defenses. Skirmishes frequently took place. On the morning of the 1st of May the- British were ready to open their batteries. The Americans, removing their tents from the plain outside of the fort, exposed to view a long breast- work which had been erected behind them. On the 3d of May an additional battery from another point was opened upon the fort, and on the 4th another battery was discovered in a position to do much injury. About the middle of that night an officer arrived at the post, and reported that Gen. Clay was at the Rapids, and moving down in open boats with twelve or fifteen hundred men, and that he would be at the fort between three and four o'clock in the morning.

Gen. Harrison saw his opportunity, and determined to raise the siege by defeating the enemy. He sent a message to Clay, ordering him to land a sufficient

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.

force on the bank of the river as he came down, which was to attack the enemy's batteries, spike their cannon, i and after destroying their carriages and disabling them, to take to boat, cross the Maumee, and enter the fort. The rest of the reinforcements were to land on the side next the river on which was the fort, and to enter it. He at the same time determined to attack the enemy's batteries on that side of the river, while ! Prophet, the brother of Tecumpseh, and Tecampech, Clay would attack them on the other side.

About eight o'clock the next morning (May 5, 1813), ; on the battle-field where his presence was needed. Clay having been delayed, the boats with Clay and that portion of the forces ordered to enter the fort : perior in numbers, and drove them in confusion into were on landing assailed by a host of savages. Maj. the woods. The Indians fought desperately, insti- gated by their great leaders. The Americans lost several of their men, but the object of the sortie was accomplished, and the victors returned to the fort with forty-three prisoners. John B. Alexander, with the Pennsylvania and Petersburg Volunteers, were ordered to protect them at the landing. The .Indians increased in number, and Maj. Alexander and Col. Boswell charged them with effect, and under cover of their fire Clay and his After this sortie Gen. Proctor sent a British officer with a flag of truce, demanding a surrender. He was indignantly sent back to the other side of the river. troops fought their way into the fort, driving the In- dians before them for half a mile at the point of the bayonet.

In the mean time, Col. Dudley, who had been or- dered to land and attack the British encampment on the other side of the river, marched fearlessly and furiously up to the enemy's cannon. The four bat- teries were all carried in an instant, and the enemy put to flight. The guns were spiked, the carriages cut in pieces, and the poles bearing the red flag of St. George pulled down, when the victorious soldiery gave way to a real frolic. Dudley ordered a retreat, according to orders, for he had done what he was sent to do. But his men would not retreat, but pushed forward with great impetuosity and recklessness, with loud cries to avenge the slaughtered men at the River Raisin. The enemy had concentrated themselves beyond the sight and hearing of the American officer. Then, while a few Indians drew the attention of the Americans towards them, a much larger force of Brit- ish and Indians approached the batteries, and after a desperate battle killed about fifty of the Kentuckians, wounded more than seventy, and took five hundred and fifty prisoners. About one hundred and fifty escaped to the boats and reached Fort Meigs. Col. Dudley attempted to cut his way through to the river, but was killed, having himself slain an Indian after he was mortally wounded. The savages then com- menced a massacre of the prisoners, unopposed by the British general, Proctor; and this horrid work was continued until the arrival of that magnificent Indian warrior, Tecumpseh, from the batteries on the other side of the river, who stayed his wild men in their work of carnage, declaring it to be a shame to kill defenseless prisoners.

At the moment Col. Dudley began his attack on the enemy's batteries, Gen. Harrison ordered a sortie against them on the southeast side of the river. The force detailed for this sortie was under command of Col. John Miller of the regulars. The whole force numbered three hundred and fifty men, and was com-

posed of regulars and the battalion of Maj. Alexander, who had just before distinguished itself in assisting the debarkation of Gen. Clay's forces. These were the Pittsburgh Blues, the Petersburg Rifles, and Lieut. ! Drum's detachment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. There were five companies of regular British troops bere, and the Indians were under direct command of the who, like a great general, as he was, was everywhere They charged the motley foe, three times their su-

The British general now found himself in a crippled condition and unfit to carry on the siege. His artil- lery was rendered useless, and he had lost in killed, wounded, and prisoners more than the besieged. He therefore agreed to exchange prisoners, and to ac- count for the difference. On the 9th of May, under an incessant discharge of artillery from the fort and the American batteries, the British and their allies moved off with their whole force.

On the same day, May 9, 1818, Gen. Harrison issued a general order from "Headquarters Fort Meiga," and in this order, which was read to the whole army and thence publicly given to the world, the gallant con- duct of these three hundred and fifty men is men- tioned.1

Thus terminated the siege of Fort Meigs, one of the most brilliant and memorable actions in Ameri- can history. To its successful termination how far the volunteer soldiery from Westmoreland contributed let the world judge.

AT FORT SANDUSKY.

On the site of Lower Sandusky there was a stockade fort, then under command of Maj. George Crogan, and hither were transferred some of the Pittsburgh Blues, the Petersburg Volunteers, and some from the different Westmoreland detachments. In all there were one hundred and sixty privates there and some half-dozen officers. Crogan himself was a mere boy just of age. On the 1st of August (1813) the fort was surrounded by five hundred British soldiers under

1 The siege of Fort Meigs continued thirteen days. Had the detach- ment under Col. Dudley obeyed orders, the events of the 5th of May would have been among the brightest in the annals of our country. As it was, it resulted gloriously to the American armi. The loss of the Americans during the siege was eighty-one killed and one hundred and eighty-nine wounded. Sixty-four were killed in the sorties, and one hundred and twenty-four wounded; the rest were killed or wounded in the fort. This does not include the killed and wounded under Col. Dudley.

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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

Proctor and eight hundred Indians, and besides these Tecumta was placed in an ambuscade with a large Indian force to intercept reinforcements directed thither from Seneed Old Town and Fort Meigs. After a disposition had been made of the forces, Proctor sent a flag of truce, demanding the surrender of the fort, and this was accompanied with threats of butchery and massacre if the garrison should hold out. But Maj. Crogan finding out that his com- panions, mostly young men like himself, would sup- port him to the last, returned the answer that "when the fort should be taken there would be none left to .. massacre, as it would not be given up while a man was able to fight." During the night a brisk fire was opened on the fort from the artillery in the boats. Crogan discovered that the enemy aimed his guns at one angle of. the fort. He ordered Capt. Hunter to place their only cannon in such a position that it would rake the ditch should they attempt to scale the walls. Sergt. Weaver and six privates of the "Pitts- burgh Blues" had charge of this gun. The enemy kept up their fire all the next day, but the garrison placed bags of flour and sand on the walls of the angle at which the fire was directed, and thus protected the walls itself. About four o'clock in the evening the enemy concentrated all their guns upon this angle, and under cover of the fire and the smoke they pro- ceeded to make the assault. Two feints were made on the lines at that angle, and three hundred and fifty British soldiers advanced to within sixty feet of the walls. A severe fire of musketry from the fort put them in confusion for a moment, but the enemy under a brave officer were urged forward, and he call- ing upon them to follow leaped into the ditch. The masked port-hole was now opened, and the six- pounder within thirty feet of the assailants was fired. Lieut .- Col. Short, their commander, and fifty others were instantly killed or wounded. At the same mo- ment Capt. Hunter's troops opened a terrible and effec- tive discharge of rifles upon the other portions of the assailants. They were compelled to retire. It was now dark. The wounded in the ditch were in a des- perate condition. They begged for water and their friends could not assist them, but Maj. Crogan and his men handed them water over the pickets, and opened a hole underneath, and encouraged as many as were able to come into the fort.

At three o'clock in the night Proctor and his men made a shameful retreat down the bay, and in their hurry and confusion they left a boat full of valuable materials. They left around the fort seventy stand of arms and several braces of pistols. The Americans lost one killed and seven very slightly wounded. That of the enemy could not have been less than one hundred and fifty ; upwards of fifty were found in and about the ditch.

The rifle company was discharged at Seneca upon the expiration of their term of service, as appears by the following :

" HEADQUARTERS, SENECA TOWN, Ang. 28, 1813.

(" After General Orders.)

"The Pittsburgh Volunteers, commanded by Capt. Butler, and those of Greensburg, by Lieut. Drum, of Maj. Alexander's battalion, having per- formed their services, the general hereby presents them an honorable discharge.

"The general has ever considered this corps as the first in the North Western Army. Equal in point of bravery and subordination, it ex- celled in every other of those attainments which form complete and efficient soldiers. In battle, in camp, and on the march their conduct has done honor to themselves and their country.

"A. H. HOLMM, " Acet. Adj. General."

For additional information touching the part sus- tained by Westmoreland in this war, see the contem- poraneous documents cited and copied in Appendix.1

CHAPTER XLI. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

The Presbyterian Church-Reformed Church-Greensburg Seminary- Evangelical Lutheran Church-Ministers of the Early Lutheran Churob-United Presbyterian Church-Methodists-Early Methodism in Greensburg and Vicinity-United Brethren-The Mennonites and their Early Settlement-Baptist Church-Mount Pleasant Institute- Roman Catholic Church-Catholicity in Western Pennsylvania.

As preparatory to the ecclesiastical history of our county, which we propose to consider in this chapter, the following extract we apprehend to be pertinent, throwing light as it does upon the polity of the pro- prietors of the Province in this regard.

The religious system of Pennsylvania, says Mr. Lodge in "The History of the English Colonies in America," was peculiar to that Province, and was the most remarkable feature of her public policy, for it was the system of Pennsylvania which received the sanction of the Revolutionary Congress and of the Convention of 1789, and which now prevails through- out the United States. There was, with one trifling exception due to secular causes, genuine religious freedom from the beginning. The oppression of New England and Virginia, of Congregationalist and Episcopalian, was unknown, and toleration did not rest on the narrow foundation of expediency, to

1 We deem it but proper to say that we have consulted many works for the subject matter of this chapter, and that we have followed no per- ticular one, but have lopped off with an unsparing band the superfluity of each from which we have made extracts. Rupp's account is un- doubtedly a very correct one, considering the materials he then had ao- cees to. Where our figures differ from his is where his differs from the official reports, for we have followed the figures as they are recorded in the records of the War Department at Washington, for which our thanks are due to Gen. R. O. Drum, adjutant-general United States army.

We may here make the observation that there were and yet are among us many survivors of the War of Eighteen-Twelve whose names do not appear in the lists wo submit. But the reason is obvious. Many who had served from other parts of the State afterwards removed into West- moreland and became identified and recognized as citizens of the county. On the other hand, there were many native Westmorelanders who on- listed in companies from neighboring counties and saw effective service. It is apparent that both these classes must of necessity be omitted in the consideration of the services performed by those who were truly the representatives of Westmoreland. For further lists see Penn. Archives, Second Series, vol. xil.

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

which it owed its carly adoption in Maryland. The Quakers in power were true to the tenets which they had preached when persecuted. Penn's followers were, however,a religious people, and although they promised to all Christians perfect toleration, a strong tone of religion pervades the " nervous proclamation against vice"1 and the carly laws of the same char- acter. Yet there was little Sabbatarian legislation, such as we find upon the statute-books of both Vir- ginia and Massachusetts, although an unfortunate barber was presented by the grand jury of an early period for "trimming on the first day." There is, however, no indication that Sunday was less observed, or that the morals of the people were worse on this account, and the same may be said in regard to the recognition of marriages solemnized in any religious society whatever. The generous toleration thus af- forded attracted all forms and creeds to Pennsylvania, and at the time of the Revolution the facts especially noticed by all observers are the universal toleration and the number and mixture of sects. One writer asserts that selig.vus indifference was a characteristic of the people, owing to this mingling of sects, and his opinion would seem to be borne out by the religious laxity indicated by the prevalence of church lotteries. The forms were certainly less rigid than elsewhere, but the piety was as genuine and religion as whole- some and wide-spread as in any colony.

In the early days of the colony the Quakers were of course much stronger than any other single sect, although they speedily sank from controlling num- bers to a minority of the whole population. They had much more religious energy than any other de- nomination, more fondness for their forms, and main- tained with greater solicitude their connection with the parent societies.

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 58

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: