History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical, Part 17

Author: Egle, William Henry, 1830-1901
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1046

USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 17
USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 17

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And what does Col. Elder say in regard to the ex- pedition to Philadelphia? In writing to Col. Ship- pen at this time he remarks, "This much may be depended on, that they | the Paxtang men have the good wishes of the country in general, and that there are few but what are now either one way or the other embarked in the affair."

The Moravian Indians, who had been confined in the barracks at Philadelphia since November, were removed to Province Island at the reported march of " a large body of rioters (?), who were bent on de- stroying them also." This has been always denied, as merely a wild rumor, which, like many other re- ports, spread consternation and alarm in the city. The A -- embly resolved to resist any attempt to de- stroy the Indian-, but the latter, frightened at the reports of their threatened destruction, petitioned the authorities to send them, a hundred and fifty in number, with their two ministers, to England. But this being impracticable, the Governor furnished them an escort to proceed through New Jersey and New York to Sir William John-on, under whose protec- tion they were desiron- to place themselves. William Franklin, then Governor of New Jersey, granted them a passport ; but Governor Colden, of New York, by advice of his Council, refused to admit them within his Province. The Council of New York were of- fended by Governor Penn sending so large a body of Indians into their colony withont their consent, and professed themselves more disposed to punish than to protect the Indians from the east side of the Susque-

GENERAL HISTORY.

hanna, whom they considered as their worst enemies, ! composed of the rogues, thieves, and runaways from uther Indian nations. They also condemned the policy which returned these men to strengthen their nation. The progress of the Indians being thus ob- -tructed, Gen. Gage, who had succeeded Gen. Am- herst in the chief command of the English forces in America, directed two companies of the Royal Ameri- cans to re-escort them to Philadelphia, where they were secured in the barracks.

The "Declaration" adopted to be transmitted to Philadelphia is herewith given,-

" We, Matthew Smith and James Gibson, in behalf of ourselves and his Majesty's faithful aud loyal subjects, the inhabitants of the trontjer wuntira of Lancaster, York, Cumberland, Berks, and Northampton, Immbly beg leave to reuion-trate and lay before jon the following grievances which we subunit to your wisdom for redress.

" First. We apprehend that as Freemen and English subjects, we have an indisputable title to the same privileges and immunities with lis Majesty's other subjects who reside in the interior counties of Philadel- phia, Chester, and Bucks, and, therefore, enght not to be excluded from an equal share with them in the very important privilege of legislation ; nevertheless, contrary to the Proprietor'- charter and the acknowledged principles of common justice and equity our five courties are restrained frotu electing more thau ten Representatives, viz., four for Lancaster, two for York, two for Cumberland, ote for Berks, and one for North- anijton, while the three counties and City of Philadelphia, Cluster, and Bucks, elect twenty-six. This we humbly conceive is oppressive, une- qual, and unjust, the cause of many of our grievances, and an infringe- ment of our natural privileges of Freedom and equality ; wherefore, we humbly pray that we may be bo longer deprived of an equal number with the three aforesaid counties to represent us in A -semildly.

"Secondly. We understand that a bill is now before the House of As- auibly, wherein it is provided that such persons as shall be charged with killing any Indians in Lancaster county, shall not be tried ii the county where the fact was committed, but in the counties of Philadel- Thia, Chester, or Bucks. This is manifestly to deprive British sulgects of their known privileges, to cast an eternal reproach upon whole counties, as if they were unht to serve their country in the quality of jurymen, and to contradict the well-known. laws of the British natiou in a point whereun life, liberty, And security essentially depend, namely, that of being tried by their equal, in the neighborboul where their own, their accusers, and the witnesses' character and credit, with the circum- stances of the fart, are best known, and instead thereof putting their lives in the hands of strangers, who may as justly be suspected of par- tiality to as the frontier counties can be of prejudice- against Indians; and this, too, in favor of Indians only, against his Majesty's faithful and loyal subjects. Besides, it is well known that the design of it is to com- preliend a fact courmitted before such a law was thought of. And if such practices were tolerated, no man could be secure in his most valu- able interest. We are alev informed, to our great surprise, that this bill has actually received the ascent of a majority of the House, which we are persuaded could not have been the case, had our frontier counties been equally represented in Assembly. However, we hope that the Legislature of this Province will never enact a law of an dangerous a tendency, or take away from his Majesty's god subjects a privilege so long esteented sacred by Englishmen.

"Thirdly. During the late and present Indian war, the frontiers of this Province have been repeatedly attackel and ravaged by skulking Parties of the Indians who have, with the most savage cruelty, murdered Ilen, women and children withont distinction, and have reduced near a thousand families to the most extreme distress. It grieves us to the very heart to see such of our frontier inhabitants as have escaped AVage fury with the loss of their parents, their children, their wives, vr relatives, left destitute by the public, nud exposed to the most cruel poverty and wretchedness, while upwards of an hundred and twenty if there savages, who are with great reason suspected of being guilty of these horrid barbarities, under the mask of friendship, nave procured th mvelses to be taken under the protection of the 2 vernment, with a view to elude the fury of the brave relatives of the mui lered, an lare D. w maintained at the public expense. Some of the -. Indians, now in tl .- laracks of Philadelphia, are confessedly a part of the Wyalising Tuchans, which tribe is now at war with us, and the othere are the dio-

ravian Indians, who, living with us under the cloak of friendship, car- ried on a correspondence with our known enemies on the Great Island. We cannot but observe with sortow and indignatiou that some prisons in this Province are nt pains to extenivate the laibatous cruelties prac- ticed by these savages on our mindried brethren and relatives, which are shocking to human nature, and must pierce every heart but that of the hardened perpetrators or their abettor -; nor i- it less distressing to hear others plending that although the Wyalong tribe is at war with ns, yet that part of it which is under the protection of the government may be friendly to the English and innocent. In what tition under the sun was it ever the custous that when a neighboring nation took up aimg, not an individual should be touched, but only the persons that offered hostilities ? Who ever proclaimed war with a part of a nation and not with the whole? Had these Indians di-approved of the perfidy of their tribe, and been willing to cultivate and preserve friendship with us, why did they not give notice of the war before it happened, as it is known to be the result of long deliberatums, and a preconcerted com- bination among them ? Why did they not leave their tribe immediately, und come among us before there was ground to suspect them, or war was actually waged with their tribe? No, they stayed amongst them, were privy to their murders and revenges, until we had destroyed their provisions, aud when they could no longer sutsist at home, they conie, not as deserters, but as friends, to be maintained through the winter, that they may be able to scalp and butcher ns in the spring.

" And as to the Moravian Indians, there are strong grounds at least to suspect their friendship, as it is known they carried on a correspond- ence with our enemies on the Great Island. We killed three Ind.any · going from Bethlehem to the Great Island with blankets, amiminnition, and provisions, which is an undeniable proof that the Moravian Indians were in confederacy with our open enemies , and we cannot but be hlled with indignation to hear this action of ours painted in the most odious and detestable colors, as if we had inhumanly murdered our guides, who preserved us from perishing in the woods, when we ouly killed three of our known enemies, who attempted to shoot us when we surprised theri. And, beatles all this, we understand that one of these very In- diane is proved, by the oath of Stimmen's widow, to be the very person that murdered her hu-land. How, then, comes it to pass that he alone of all the Moravian In hans should join the ent is to murder that family? Or can it le supposed that any eneiny Indians, contrary to their known custoin of making war, should penetrate into the heart of a settled country to burn. plunder, und murder theinhabitants, and not molest any houses in their returu, or ever be seen or heard from? Or how can we account for it that no ravages have been committed in Northampton County since the removal of the Moravian Indians, when the Great Cove has been struck since : These things put it beyond doubt with us that the Indians now at Philadelphia are bie majesty's perhdious euemies, andd. therefore, to protect and maintain them at the public expense while our suffering brethren on the frontiers are almost destitute of the necessaries of life, and are neglected by the public, is sufficient to wake us mad with rage, and tewpt us to do what nothing but the most violent necessity can vindicate. We humbly and earnestly pray, therefore, that those enemies of his majesty may be removed As soon as possible out of the Province.

" Fourthsly. We humbly conceive that it is contrary to the maxims of good policy, and extremely dangerous to our frontiers, to suffer any In- diana, of what tribe svever, to live within the inhabited parts of this Province while we are engaged in an Indian war, as experience has taught us that they are all perfidious, and their clann to freedom and independency put it in their power to act as spies, to entertain and give intelligence to our enemies, and to furnish them with provisions and warlike stores. To this fatal intercourse between our pretended friends and open enemies, we must ascribe the greatest of the ravages and murders that have been committed in the course of this and the last Indian war. We, therefore, pray that this grievance be taken under consideration and remedied.

"Fifthly. We cannot help lamenting that no provision has been hitherto made, that such of our frontier inhabitants as have been wounded in defense of the Province, their lives aud liberties, may he taken care of, and cured of their wounds at the public expense. We, therefore, pray that this grievance may be redressed.

" sixthly. In the Inte Indian war this Province, with others of his Majesty's colonies, gave rewards for Indan scalps, to engage the serk- ing them in their own country, as the most likely means of destroy- ing or re lucing them to be won, but no such encouragement has been given in this war, which has dated the spirits of miny brave meg, who are willing to ventur- their lives in parties chinst the enemy. We, therefore, pray that public rewards may be proposed for Indian

HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.

scalps, which may be adequite to the dangers attending enterprises of this nature.

"Seventhly. We daily lament that numbers of our nearest and dear- est relatives are still in captivity among the savage brathen, to be trained up in all their ignorance and barleony, or to be tortured to death with all the contrivance of In han cruelty. for attempting to ulike their es- capo from bondage; we see they pay no regard to the nriny solemn promises they have made to restore our friends who are in bondage amongst thein. We, therelure, earnestly pray that no trade may here- after be permitted to be carried on with them until our brethren and relativos are brought home to us.

" Eighthly Wy complain that a certain spriety of people in this Prov- ince, in the late Indian war, and at several treaties held by the King's representatives, openly loaded the Indians with presents, and that J. P., a leader of the and society, in de face of all government, not only ahetted our Indian enetnies, Int kept up a private intelligence with them, and publicly received from thems a belt of wampum, as if he had been our Governor, or authorized by the King to treat with his enemies By this means the Indians have been tanght to despise us as a weak and disunited people, and from this fatal source have atose miany of our calamities under which we groan. We humbly pray, therefore, that this grievance may be redressed, and that no private subject be here- after permitted to treat with, cr carry on a correspondence with, our enemies.

"Ninthly. We cannot but observe with sorrow, that Fort Angusta, which has been very expensive to this Province, has afforded us but little assistance during this or the last war. The men that were stationed at that place neither helped our distressed inhabitants to save their crops. nor did they attack our enemies in their towns, or patrol on our fron- tiers. We humbly request that proper measures may be taken to make that garrison more serviceable to us 10 our distress, if it can be done.

"N.B .- We are far from intending any reflection against the com- manding officer stationed at Angusta, as we presume his conduct was always directed by those from whom he received his orders.

" Signed on behalf of ourselves, and by appointment of a great num- ber of the frontier inhabitants.

" MATTHEW SMITH. ". JAMES GIBSON.

"FEBRUARY 13th, 1764."

The declaration, it will be perceived, is the Paxtang boys' defense of the affair at Conestoga. They begin by professing to be, to a man, loyal subjects of the king. They state at length the unwarrantable favor shown to the Indians; reiterate their opinion that they are spies and murderers, and state. as the great grievance, which showed the animax of all the rest, that when in the preceding summer Col. Bouquet's forces marched through the Province, almost as a forlorn hope, to defend the frontiers and save Fort Pitt, and when Gen. Amherst, the royal commander-" in-chief, demanded assistance, provisions, etc., the _ls- sembly of Pennsylvania did not " stir hand or foot," did not furnish a man, provisions, or assistance of any kind, yet that the moment Indians were in distress they were helped by the authorities and influential men. That every abomination committed by Indians was exeused, and that they were encouraged and pro- tected white eutting the throats of the borderers, and then, when at last deserted by the government the frontiersmen had protected themselves, and after fighting the Indians every other way, had at last cut off the source of their calamities, a price was set upon the heads of those who defended their country, their children, and their firesides, atul so they conclude, "God save the King"

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CHAPTER X.

The "Paxtang Boys' Insurrection" (continned)-The Approach of the Delegates to Philadelphia-The Fears of the Quaker Metropolis-The Conduct of the Quakers and Dr. Franklin-The Pamphletvers.

Ox the afternoon of Saturday, the 5th of February, reports reached Philadelphia that the frontier settlers were coming en masse to Philadelphia, " their princi- pał object," say Quaker historians, " being to put all the Indians confined in the new barracks to death." Sonte declared there were thousands of the invaders on the march. Without ascertaining the truth of the various exaggerated rumors which reached the Gov- ernor's ears, that functionary called a public meeting at the State House (Independence Hall) the same evening. The weather was rainy, but there were some three thousand persons present. Many were expected who did not attend. Those who were absent were principally the Germans, which, according to the Rev. Henry Muhlenberg, gave the Governor much chagrin, and led him to suspect that the Germans " were about to place their heads under the same hood with the discontented or rebel-, so-called," terming thus the brave frontiersmen. At this meeting the act which passed the Assembly on the previous day, extending the Riot Act of George I., Chap. I., to the Province of Pennsylvania, was proclaimed, and proposals were at onee made for the enrollment of one hundred and fifty gentlemen to assist the soldiers in guarding the barracks that night ; also that upon any alarm in the night, bells should be rung, upon which the inhabit- ants were expected to turn out with their arms, and repair to the barracks, or, if the town was attacked, of which there seemed to be a general fear on the part of the Quakers, to meet at the Court-House, and take measures to defend the city. Four cannon and am- munition were sent from the State-House to the bar- racks, carpenters were employed to erect works there, and spies were sent out npon the different roads to watch the movements of the Paxtang boys.

The next day was Sunday; but the weather being fine, though very cold, vigorous means of ilefense were made. A redoubt was built in the centre of the pa- rade at the barracks in the Northern Liberties, and fortified the gate-ways with angles of thick planks. which had places left for the soldiers to fire through. Several pieces of cannon were likewise hauled up, and the best preparations made that the time would admit of. The excitement was intense, and Philadelphia Quaker, never desecrated the Lord's Day before or since with such warlike preparations.

Towards midnight of Sunday an expre-s arrived bringing an account of the approach of the Paxtang boys, and another abont two o'clock. The alarm was forthwith given by the ringing of bells and the beat- ing of drum. The inhabitants arose from all quar- ters, and ran to obey the summon -. The remains of an old artillery company were unistered, and two pieces of' cannon brought from the magazine and sta-

GENERAL HISTORY.

tioned before the court-house. All bu-iness was sus- pended, the shops and -tore- were closely shut, and every person seemed anxion- to know what would be the issue of all this tumult. The number of persons in arms that morning wa- about six hundred, and it was expected that the so-called " rioters" would at- tempt to eross at the middle and upper ferries of the Schuylkill. Orders were sent to bring the boats to the city side and take away the ropes. Couriers were now seen continually coming in, their hor-es all of a foam, and the people running with the greatest eager- ness to ask them where the enemy was and what were their number -. The answers to these questions were various. Sometin - they were at a distance. Some- tintes they were a thousand strong, then five hundred, then fifteen hundred. In short, all was doubt and uncertainty.

The call to arins was responded to in a manner which had not been expected, many of the Quakers joining in the companies. " It seemed almost incred- ible," writes the Rev. Mr. Mahlenburg in hi- diary, " that several young and old Quakers formed com- panies and took up arms, particularly so to the boys on the streets, for a whole crowd of boys followed a distinguished Quaker, and in astonishment cried out, ' Look here ! a Quaker with a musket on his shoul- 'der.' It was by many people looked upon a- a won- derful sign to see so many old and young Quakers marching about with swords and guns, or deadly weapons, so called. What increased the wonder was that the pious lambs in the long French, Spanish, and Indian wars had such tender consciences, and would sooner die than raise a hand in defense against those dangerous enemies, and now at once, like Zede- kian, with iron horns, rushing upon a handful of our poor, distressed, and ruined fellow-citizens of the frontiers." This, bear in mind. is the language of an intelligent Lutheran clergyman.

The boats at the Schuylkill ferries near the city had been secured and guard- placed at them, but it was afterwards recollectel that the ferry-boat at the Swede's Ford had been neglected. This was of great importance, for the river being high at the time, the securing of that boat would have obliged the l'ax- tang men to march some distance up the river before they could eross. A party therefore immediately set off for that ferry, but they were too late, for the delegates had crossed the stream and proceeded to Germantown.

During the confusion and alarm which prevailed at the time the Paxtang force were momentarily ex- perted to arrive, a circumstance occurred which came near producing a fatal resnic, and we allude to it in this place from the fact that it subsequently became one of the subjects for satire and caricature. A large tedly of mounted men appeared at the upper end of -mond Street, and the cry was instantly raised, "The Paxtang boys are coming! the Paxtang boys are coming !" The peaceable Quaker military primed

their muskets, the artillerymen threw themselves into order, and the people ran to get out of danger. A troop of armed men on horseback were seen coming down the street, and on their approach one of the artillerymen was just applying the match to his gun when a person near by, discovering the mistake, quickly placed his hat over the touch-hole and pre- vented the discharge. A most unfortunate result was thus avoided, for the approaching troop proved to be a company of butchers and porters who had collected and organized themselves to aid in the de- fense of the city, but who had neglected to give the proper notice of their coming.

Bearing the declaration, approved of and recom- mended by over niteen hundred of the frontier in- habitants, with letters from prominent personages, the delegates, mostly on horseback, pursued their march to the Quaker city, little imagining the warlike preparations to receive them. They sent word to Governor Penn of the hour they would be at Ger- mantown. On their arrival at that place did they have the first intimation of the action taken by the mild and peaceful Quakers ? There they halted.

We are of the opinion that after all the l'axtang Boys were not such terrible bugaboos, for we have it from the journal of a Moravian minister (not by any means biased in their favor ) that " a large number of persons went from the city to view them, and from the best accounts that could be obtained their number did not exceed one hundred, although it was inferred their whole force had not come in yet. This dreaded body of frontiersmen consisted of a fine set of fellows dressed in blanket coats and moccasins. They were armed with rifles, and some few had pistols. They behaved very well in Germantown, talked civilly to the people, and expressed great surprise that arms . had been taken up against them, for they had only come to lay their grievances before the people." Now this is a contemporary account.

At Germantown, the Paxtang men were met by commissioners sent out by Governor Penn, to whom they made known their intentions. Col. Matthew Smith and James Gibson accompanied the commis- 'sioners to Philadelphia, where they met the Governor and the Assembly, to whom they presented their grievances in the declaration alluded to, which the latter body term in their miuntes the declaration of the rioters, and the petition of the back inhabitants. In the mean time, with a few exceptions, the remain- ing delegates returned to their homes, and the in- habitants of the city to their peaceful avocations. And thus ended the " Paxtang Boy,' Insurrection."

The publications which followed the so-called "Paxtang Boys' Insurrection" were numerous, and no transaction from the founding of the Province to the present day takes up a- large a share of the bibliog- raphy of Pennsylvania. Some of the pamphlets on both sides were bitter and vindictive. The Quakers took up the pen to hold up the deed to exeeration,

HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.

and, to be candid, neither truth nor decency were held in regard. Others seized the opportunity to de- fame the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians as ignorant bigot; and lawless marauders. The Presbyterians, as a mat- ter of course, were not to be kept quiet. On the side of the Quakers were chiefly Israel Pemberton, Ben- jamin Franklin, and Joseph Galloway ; on the popu- lar side, or that of the Paxtang Boys, were Rev. John Ewing, Rev. Gilbert Tennent, and Dr. Dove.

Dr. Franklin seems to have taken the lead with his "Narrative of the Late Massacre of Indians in Lan- caster County," etc., a pamphlet which we can charac- terize in no milder terms than an ingenious fabrica- " A Battle ! A Battle! A Battle ! A Squirt ! Where un man is killed, and no man is hurt . . .; " tion. Among the great men of America. next to Washington, we have ever placed that eminent Penn- ; to which is added the Quaker's Address versify'd, and sylvania statesman whose reputation is cosmopolitan, King Wampum, or, Harm Watch, Harm Catch ! -the sage and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin. "'Tis safe and common in a Friend's disguise To misk Hypocrisy, Deceit, and Lies; As safe and common as the thing might be, The Poet thought it was rank Villainy !" Nevertheless, he was but human, and if we repeat in plain terms that, like many another great man, he bad his faults, and pandered to political demagogism, "Printed and sold at the Blue Nose, near Brazen Nose College." King Wampum was the nick-name of Israel Pemberton. we hope not to le-sen him in the reader's estimation. But in the light of history and of this very transaction ; which is brought to their attention, we cannot pass These titles may give some idea of the virulence of the pamphleteers. over his glaring faults. His object in writing the pamphlet is better given in his own words. In the " Memoirs of Lord Kames" appears a letter from Franklin, under date of June 2, 1765, and from London :

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History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical, Part 17

Author: Egle, William Henry, 1830-1901 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1046

Author: Egle, William Henry, 1830-1901
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1046