History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical, Part 18

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 18
USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 18

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).

" MY DEAR LOED:

". . . In December, 1763, we had two insurrections of the lack in- habitants, by whom twenty poor Indians were murdered, that had from the first settlement of the Province lived among us under the pru- tection of our government. This gave me a great deal of trouble, for as the rioters threatroed further mischief, and their actions were approved by un increasing party, I wrote a juosphilet entitled 'A Narrative of the Late Massacre in Lancaster County of a Number of Indiaus, Friends of this Province' (Penna , to strengthen the hands of a weak government by rendering the proceedings of the rioters unpopular and odious. I bad by this made myself many enemies among the people, and the Gov- ernor, thinking it a favorable opportunity, joined the whole weight of the Proprietary interest to keep me out of the Assembly, which was accordingly effected at the last election.

" Yours, etc., " B. FRANKLIN."

Had Franklin made this acknowledgment during his lifetime at home, where the " Narrative" had been freely circulated as an electioneering doenment, we . should have had a higher opinion of the philosopher. It is this document which for a hundred years has furnished food for historians of a sen-ational turn of mind. A> to its general untruthfulness, Franklin's own acknowledgment is sufficient evidence.

Following the " Narrative" came the Rev. Dr. Ewing's "Conduct of the Paxtang Men Impartially Represented," which roused np all the Quaker bigotry and animosity with "An Answer to the Pamphlet, 'Conduct of the Paxtang Men Impartially Repre- sented,' wherein the Ungenerous Spirit of the Author is Manifested, etc., and the Spotted Garment pluckt off." Then followed "The Quaker Unmasked, or Plain Truth;" that by "Remarks on the Quaker Unmasked, or Plain Truth to be Plain Falsehood,"

and " The Author of the Quaker Unmasked Stript Stark Naked, or the Delineated Presbyterian Played Hob with." The latter by " Remarks upon the De- lineated Presbyterian Played Ilob with, or Clothes for a Stark Naked Author," and that by " A Look- ing-Glas- for Presbyterians." Then came " The Pax- tang Boys, a Farce, translated from the original French by a native of Dunnegal ;" and " A Scene in the First Act of the New Farce, published as a specimen, printed in the year of the New Hegira Secundus, the Paxtonian Expedition." "The Pax- toniade, by Christopher Gymnast," followed with

In addition to the pamphlets appeared a large number of broad-side caricatures. Among these was a large copper-plate engraving entitled "The Pax- tang Expedition," "inseribed to the author of the Farce by II. D." It represented a scene at the court- house (located at Market and Second Streets). Four pieces of cannon are placed in position, two pointing down Second Street and two up Second Street. The troop of butchers are represented, and the cannoniers are ready to fire. On the sides of the market-stalls companies are represented with arms. The court- honse steps are crowded ; a company is drawn up on the south side of Market Street in front of the Quaker meeting-house: armed men occupy the yard of this peaceful conventiele, and others are in the door-way and at the upper windows. From the mouth of one of those below proceeds a label with the words "Suc- cess to the new barracks," while those up-stairs pro- claim " Bring the grog up stairs." A great number of labels containing exclamations and remarks pro- ceed from the months of varions persons. Probably one hundred figures are engraved upon this curious picture, which has some verses below descriptive of the scene.

Another caricature is divided into three compart- ments. On one side is a representation of Israel Pemberton embracing an Indian squaw. In the mid- dle a company of Quakers are under arms, with a cannon pointed towards the Paxtang boys in the distance. Beneath this picture are the lines,-

" When danger is threatened, 'ts mere nonsense T . talk of such a thing ns conscience. To arow! to arms ! with one accord, The sword of Quakers and the Lord; Fill bumpers, then, of rum or arrack, We'll drink success to our new barra .& !"

---

GENERAL HISTORY.

On the left of the plate is a representation of Ben- jamin Franklin in his study, with the inscription,-

" Fight dog, fight bear, you're all my friends, By you I shall attain my ends; For I can never be content Till I have got the Government; But if from this attempt I fall, Then let the Devil take you all !"

A third caricature represents the author of the " Narrative" ( Dr. Franklin) on the left of the picture, the scene being a wild one in the country, intended for the frontiers. In his hand Franklin holds a paper having on it, " Resolved, ye Prop'ra knave and tyrant. N. C. D. Gov'r do. (ditto)." A Quaker is approaching him, riding on the back of a Scotch-Irishman, who carries a gun. The Quaker holds a rope, which is fastened around the neck of a German, who is blind- folded. Upon his back is mounted an Indian with a tomahawk; upon the back of the latter is strapped a bale of furs marked I. P. ( Israel Pemberton). In the foreground lie the bodies of murdered settlers, and in the background are deserted farm-houses. The in- seription beneath is,-

" The German bleeds and bears the furs Of Quaker lorde and savage curs ; The Hibernian frets with new disaster, And kicks to fling his broad-brimmed master ; But help at hand resolves to hold down The Hibernian's head or tumble all down."

Another caricature represented Israel Pemberton in the act of distributing tomahawks to Indians from a cask, while still another, " Humbly Inscribed to the Saturday Night's Club in Lodge Alley," contained about one hundred and fifty lines, principally abusing the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. Two advertisements were at the bottom, one of "a curry-comb for the itch," the other of "an ointment of brimstone and butter."

CHAPTER XI.

The " Paxtang Boys' Insurrection" (continued)-Reward for Capt. Lazarus Stewart-His Eloquent Declaration-A Summary of the Affair.

GOVERNOR JOHN PENN, from the papers placed in his hands and the representations made by Edward Shippen, the chief magistrate at Lancaster, was dis- posed to let the whole matter pass into oblivion, but the majority of the Assembly was of a different opinion, and urged him to have Stewart arrested and brought to Philadelphia for trial. Capt. Frewart had repeatedly offered to go to Lancaster or York for trial, but the Quakers demanded otherwise. For five years Stewart resided at Paxtang secure from arrest. but to cajole the Assembly. in 1769, the Governor consented to offer a reward for his capture, giving the matter into the hands of the sheriff of York County. It was then that he sent forth his declaration :

Cupt. Lazarus Stewart's Declaration.

" Let all hear! Were the counties of Lancaster, York, Cumberland, Berks, and Northampton pro- tected by government ? Did not John Harris, of Pax- tang, ask advice of Col. Croghan, and did not the colonel advise him to raise a company of scouters, and was not this confirmed by Benjamin Franklin? And yet, when Harris asked the Assembly to pay the scouting party, he was told ' that he might pay them himself.' Did not the counties of Lancaster. York. Cumberland, Berks, and Northampton, the frontier settlements, keep up rangers to watch the motions of the Indians, and when a murder was committed by an Indian, a runner with the intelligence was sent to each scouting party, that the murderer or murderers might be punished ? Did we not brave the summer's heat and the winter's cold and the savage tomahawk, while the inhabitants of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Bucks, and Chester 'ate, drank, and were merry ?'

" If a white man kills an Indian it is a murder far exceeding any erime upon record; he must not be tried in the county where he lives, or where the offen-e was committed, but in Philadelphia, that he may be tried, convicted, sentenced, and hung without delay. If an Indian kill a white man it was the act of an igno- rant heathen, perhaps in liquor; alas, poor innocent ' he is sent to the friendly Indians that he may be made a Christian. Is it not a notorious fact that an Indian who treacherously murdered a family in Northampton County was given up to the magi-trates that he might have a regular trial; and was not this Indian conveyed into Bucks County, and is he not provided with every necessary and kept >eenred from punishment by I-rael Pemberton ?

"Have we not repeatedly represented that Cones- toga was a harbor for prowling savages, and that we were at a loss to tell friend or foe, and all we asked was the removal of the Indians? Was not this prom- ised by Governor Penn. yet delayed ? Have we for- . gotten Renatus, that Christian (?) Indian ?

"A murder of more than savage barbarity was com- mitted on the Susquehanna : the murderer was traced by the seouts to Conestoga; he was demanded, but the Indians assumed a warlike attitude, tomahawks were raised. and the fire-arms gli-tened in the sun : shots were fired upon the scouts, who went back for additional force. They returned. and you know the result: Conestoga wa- reduced to ashes. But the murderer escaped. The friendly and unfriendly were placed in the work-house at Lancaster. What could .ecure them from the vengeance of an exasperated people? The doors were forced and the hapless Indians perished.

" Were we tamely to look on and see our brethren murdered, our fairest prospects blasred. while the inhabitants of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Bucks, and Chester slept and reaped their grain in safety ?

HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.

" These hands never shed human blood. Why am I singled out as an object of persecution ? Why are the blood-hounds let love upon me? Let him who wished to take my life, let him come and take it,-I shall not fly. All I ask is that the men accused of murder be tried in Lancaster County. All I ask is a trial in my own county. If these requests are refused, then not a hair of those men's heads shall be molested. Whilst I have life you shall not either have them or me on any terms. It is true, I submitted to the sheriff of York County, but you know too well that I was to be conveyed to Philadelphia like a wild felon, man- acled, to die a felon's death. I would have seorned to tly from York. I could not bear that my name should be marked by ignominy. What I have done was done for the security of hundred- of settlers on the frontiers. The blood of a thousand of my fellow- ereatures called for vengeance. I shed no Indian's blood. As a ranger I sought the post of danger, and now you ask my life. Let me be tried where prejudice has not prejudged my case. Let my brave rangers, who have stemmed the blast nobly and never flinched, let them have an equitable trial; they were my friends in the hour of danger, to desert them now were eow- ardice.

" What remains is to leave our cause with our God and our guns.

" LAZARUS STEWART."

Brave and defiant ranger ! Words which thrill the soul and fire the heart even to-day, coming down through the cathedral ai-les of time for over a cen- tury with all its pathos and its eloquence.

The strife at Wyoming between the Connecticut settlers and Pennsylvania gave Stewart and his ran- gers an opportunity not only to gratify their love of adventure, but for their more perfect security and to show their hostility to the Proprietary government. The democratic tendencies of the Susquehanna Com- pany and the vesting of the title of lands in the occupants of the soil had >trong attractions for men of Stewart's east of mind. In December, 1769, Stew- artI went to Connecticut to negotiate with the Sus-

1 The Connecticut settlers went to Wyoming in the spring of 1769, and renewed their former possessions, and engaged in clearing up their lands, plowing, planting, and sowing, built a block-house, cte., for pro- tection against the savages, who had killed some twenty of their uumber in 1763 and driven off the remainder. In the midst of their labors, in September, 1700, they were ponneed upon by Capt ogden with ahont two hundred men, well armed and equipped for battle, accompanied by Sheriff Jennings, of Northampton County, for the purpose of arresting the settlers and dragging or driving them from their homes. By treachery they secured the arrest of Capt. Durkee. commander of the settlers, and sent him b>> Philadelphia in irons to be incarcerated in prison. The settlers, taken by surprise and menared by so large and well equipped a force, entered into articles of capitulation with the enemy. Three or four of the l-a liog men were de taine.i as prisoners. Sev- enteen were to remain and take care of the crops, the rest were to leave the valley immed. itely, the pro, rty of the settlers to be respected, and they to have the privilege of removing the - ine.

No sooner had the mass of the settlers left the valley than the forces of Oglen and Jennings commenced the plunder of all the property left

quehanna Company. In consideration of certain lands he proposed to unite his forces with those of the company and effect the occupation and settle- ment of Wyoming. The proposition was accepted. He returned to Paxtang and informed his comrades that he had obtained the grant of a township of land for himself and them, provided they would settle thereon and defend the soil.

Unhind. Cattle, horses, and sheep were driven to the markets on the Delaware, and their grain fields plundered and destroyed.

This state of affairs aroused the settlers to active and earnest efforts to recover possession of their homes and property. In their extremity they made overtures to the Paxtang boy's to come and join them in ree v. ering possession, promising them a township of land to the fifty who should join them at Wyounng on or before the lot of February, 172. The proposition was accepted, the Paxtang boys came on as agreed.

Again the opposing forces met in battle array, the settlers being re- inforced front Connecrient aud well provided with aruis and auimuni- tion, and having the Paxtang boys as their allies

After a protracted struggle, in which Maj. Durkee commandel on the side of the settlers, and Capt. Oglen on the sile of the invaders, Ogden was compelled to surremler, and articles of capitulation were entered into ou the 20th April, 1770.

Thus by the aid of the Paxtang boys the settlers recovered possession of their homes, and the Paxtang boy's obtained the township of Hanover for their services, where they settled and became a component part of the settlers of the valley, and took part in all the subsequent struggles to retaiu possession.

The following is the reply of the committee of the company to the application of the Paxtang men :

" COLONY OF CONNECTICUT, " WINDHAM, Jan. 15, 1770. "GENTLE'N.,-We received a letter some time ago directed to Major John Durkee, wherein it was proposed by John Montgomery, Lazarus Young, and others, that as we have been so unjustly treated, in re- moving our settlers off trom the Wyoming lands, that if we would give unto the said Montgomery, Young, oud their Associates, to the unaiber of Fifty, a township of land, sIN onles square, in our purchase, Att some snitble and commodious place, that the said Montgomery &c. to the number of Fifty, would immediately enter on our lands at Wyoming, Talte Cair of our houses and effects, and with our people that are th ir. and as such as shall from Time to Time joga them ou said land, and hold possession of those lands with us. We have with the advice of a large Commee of said Company consulered of sd proposal, and do in be- half of ourselves and the susquehanna pnichase, agree to, and with the said Montgomery, Young, and their associates, to the number of F. fty, that they shall have a good township of land of - x miles square, within sd purchase, invested with the same right to -d Township as the sail Company now have, and shall further promise to be laid out when it shall be convenient, for the purposes aforesaund and not so as to prejophire but in aid of our settlers, that have already been on. And it is to be understood that the said Montgomery, Young, &c. are to become parcel of our said settlers, and under the same regulations, with our settlers 2g such. And we bave Sent herewith two of our proprietors as a Comer to treat with you on the affair and go with you to Wyoming, to wit, Capt. Zebulon Butler, and MIr. Lbeurzer Backus, and to lay out said Township as they and you shall agree, if you think best. Capt. Butler to remain at Wyoming with you, Mr. Backus to return and bring us avlvice as mon as the circumstances of the case will permit. You may Expect M .. Durkee to join you as soon as bis affairs w.Il permit, And whereas many of the Settlers that will join you soon, we have a good deal of reason to Expect success with our assembly in May.

" Now as there are sundIry thugs in tavoor of the Colony title that we have discovered lately, we wish you go i success In this and every last. ful enterprise and are your sincere friend- and

"Very Humble servants, " ELIPHALET DYER, " SAML. GEAY, " NATHL. WALES, JUS., " Comtre for sd Company.

"JOHN MIONEGOMERY & LAZARUS YOUNG, E:QI:S."

GENERAL HISTORY.

Of the subsequent events in the history of that brave partisan leader we shall not here refer.

Col. Elder, writing to Col. Burd about this period, says, " Lazarus Stewart is still threatened by the Phil- adelphia party ; he and his friend- talk of leaving. If they do, the Province will lose some of its best friends, and that by the faults of others. uot their own, for if any cruelty was practiced on the Indians at Cone-toga or at Lancaster, it was not by his or their hands. There is great reason to believe that much injustice has been done to all concerned. In the contrariness of accounts we must infer that inneh rests for support on the imagination or interest of the witnesses. The characters of Stewart and his friends were well estab- lished. Ruthians nor brutal they were not, but hu- mane, liberal, and moral, nay, religion -. It is evi- dently not the wish of the party to give Stewart a fair hearing. All he desires is to be put on trial at Lancaster, near the scenes of the horrible butcheries committed by the Indians at Tulpehocken, etc., where he can have the testimony of the scouts and rangers. men whose services can never be sufficiently rewarded. The pamphlet has been sent by my friends and one- mies ; it failed to inflict a wound : it is at least but a garbled statement ; it carries with it the seeds of its own dissolution. That the hatchet was used is de- Died and is it not reasonable to suppose that men accustomed to the use of guns would make use of their favorite weapons ? .. . The inference is plain

The list of Paxtang men at Wyuming in I7Th are given berewith. Those ilulicized were menibers of the Paxtang ranger:

LIZATUS Starter !.

Hobert Kidd.

Thomas French.

Rouimus Haine.

Robert Young.

Joseph Veul.

James Stewart.

John Noal.

Willm. Young.

John Stillie.

Lazy Stewart, Jr.

John Mc Dunner.

Peter Kidd.

Willn. Stewart,

Thomas Robinson.

Lazarus Young.

John Robinson.

Willm. Carpenter.

John Simpson.

Luke ShawIry.

Adam Harper.

George Aspeu.

Peter Seamiav.

John Lourd.

John Poop.

John He Donnel.

Matthave H Contingh.

George Medse.

Adam Stover.

Nicholas Fairingv.

Jacob Stagard.

Conrad Philip.

Balser Stagard.

Casper Rek. r.

George Ely.

Johu Sal:lt

Lodwick Shalman.

Adam sharer.

Peter Izenhower.

Robert Youny.

James Rheo was said to have come to Wyoming as one of them, and Abel Farrington was ed by his grandson to have been one of the later arriv.l4.

Deal of John J Donner t. Zebulon Butler, 200 of February. 1770. Westmoreland Records, v. A. i. p. 17; consider tion the for ve whole of und weitling right of lands at Wyoming that I have or may have or be entiled to by my coming out and Taking passion with Capt. Butler, in February, 1770.

S. Parsons, of Contretionit, un ler date of March 12. Info, w ites o Cut. Zoon Batler. at Wyoming. on Su- pie donne, congrott latrug hinten nie meyer-ful Expedition to Wyoming with : setter. Men. sends has compliments to the Pastang lay's, stating that he is under obligations Pattern for saving the settlers from the rapacious mouths of the ranging Pensylvania proprietors.

that the bodies of the Indians were thus mangled after death by certain persons to excite a feeling against the Paxtang boys. This fact Stewart says he can and will establish in a fair trial at Lancaster, York, or Carlisle. At any rate, we are all suffering at pres- ent by the secret influence of a faction,-a faction who has shown their love to the Indians by not ex- posing themselves to its influence in the frontier set. tlements."

After this hurried glance at the history of this trans- action, we believe we have made good the following : Ist. The notoriously bad character of the Indians at Conestoga. Apart from the various affidavits taken before Edward Shippen, of Lancaster. and Thomas Forster, of Paxtang, we have the opinion of Gen. Amherst, commander-in-chief of the British forces in America, of Lord Halifax, and of Governor Colden, of New York.

2d. The reiterated demands for their removal, and that if this was done peace to the frontier, was guar- anteed.

3d. The so-called insurrection or riot, as stigmatized by historians and by the Assembly of the Province, was nothing of the kind. It was a right guaranteed by the charter for the people to meet in assembly and demand or petition for redress of grievances.

4th. The off-repeated slander that the men who compo-ed the Paxtang volunteers came to untimely ends is only in keeping with the marked untruths used by Quaker historians and Quaker pamphleteers. It is greatly to be lamented that all the names of tho'e brave Paxtang boys have not been preserved to ns. but those we have are sufficient to enable us to hurl back the imputation cast upon their memory. With the exception of lion-hearted Lazarus Stewart, who fell in that terrible Indian, Tory, and British mas-acre which devastated the valley of Wyoming on the 3d of July, 1778, the heroes of Conestoga lived long, valna- ble, and respected lives. Two of them were subse- quently elders in Old Hanover Presbyterian Church. Those who followed Rev. Sankey into the Valley of Virginia became some of the most influential citizens of the Old Dominion. Two at least of the signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration were Paxtang men, and one of the descendants of another became President of the United States. Several became honored minis- ters, and one the president of a college.

5th. Peace from Indian incursions was forever se- cured to the settlers of Paxtang.

Three important questions now agitated and in- flamed the public mind :

1. Whether a Proprietary government or one with kingly powers was the government best adapted for this Province ?

2. Was the destruction of the Indians in Lancaster County justifiable on the plea of necessity ?

3. Was the policy adopted by Proprietary govern- ment and the A-sembly in treating with the Indians judicious ?

HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.

CHAPTER XII.

The Paxtang Boys' lusurrection ( continued)-Appendix-NaDies of In- dians Killed-Bad Character of the Indians-The Paxtang Buys-" The Apology of the Paxtang Volunteers"-Athdavits of the Pioneers -- Pamphlets Printed.

APPENDIX.

Indians killed at the Indian town in Conestoga Manor :

Sheehays. Wa-a-shen-George. Ter-kan-ley-Harry. Ess-can-esh-a son of sheebays. Tea-won-sho-i-ong -- >.dlly. Kin-nen-quas-a woman.

Indians killed at the lanceter jail.

Ky-un-quea-gooah-Capt. John. Ko-wee-na-see-Betty, wife of C'apt. Julin.

Teu-see-dan-gua-Bill Suck. Ka-ni-an-gruas-Bill Sock's wife. Sa-qnies-hat-tab-John smith. Chee-na-wan-Peggy, wife of John Smith. Quan-chow-John, son of Capt. John.

Ex-un-das-young Sherhays.

Shae-e-kah-Jacob.

Tang-quas-Chrisley. Hy-ye-naes-Little Peter. Ko.quan-e-un-qnas-Molly. Ka-ren-do-nah-a little girl (eighteen years). Ca-nu-kie-sung-Peggy.

THIE CHARACTER OF THE INDIANS.

[Governor Coldlen, of New York, to Governor John Penn.]

The Indians on the east side of the Susquehanna are the most obnox- lous to the people of this Province of any, having doue the most m.s. chief. They consist of a nuother of rogues and thieves, runaways front the other nations, and for that reason not to be trusted.

[ The Council of New York ]

This government is rather disposed to attack and punish than to support and protect them. whom they still consider their enemy.

CONDI'CT OF THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES-COTEMIPO- HARY OPINIONS.

[Letter of Gen. Amherst tu Governor Hamilton, Oct. 26, 1763.]

I cannot help repeating my surprise at the infatuation of the people In your Province, who tamely look on while their brethren are butchered by the savages, when without doubt it is in their power by exerting a proper spirit not only to protect the settlements, but to punish noy In- dians that are hardy enough to disturb them.

[See reply of A-sembly to the Governor in answer to Governor Am- Ierst's letter, October 22.'

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History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical, Part 18

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