USA > Virginia > Exiles in Virginia : with observations on the conduct of the Society of Friends during the revolutionary war ; comprising the official papers of the government relating to that period. 1777-1778 > Part 14
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26th .- Being the first day of the week; our meeting was attended, morning and afternoon, by Philip Bush and his family, and several Friends from the country. John Pemberton and John Hunt were largely engaged in exhortation and prayer.
Among the Friends that were collected with us this after- noon, was Thomas M'Clunn, who left General Washington's camp, about 20 miles from Philadelphia, on the 18th inst., on or near the Skippack Road.
This Friend, with thirteen others, members of our Society, residing in this county, had been drafted under the militia law of the present government, and taken forcibly from their friends and families ; and though they bore a steady testimony against all warlike measures, and refused to partake of the provision allotted to themselves and others, and to handle any of the muskets, to which they were urged, yet they were forced to move on in military order, from place to place, for some dis- tance, when about half their number, from indisposition of body, were allowed to return home, though others were com- pelled to march in company with the militia to the camp, during which time several of them had muskets tied to their bodies, and were forced to stand at certain places for many hours together.
At the camp a discharge was obtained for them, by order of General Washington, soon after they reached it, with liberty to return home, in which he thinks Clement Biddle was assisting.
Winchester, 2d day of 11th month .- First day of the week. Our religious meetings began at 10 o'clock in the morning, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and were very satisfactory. Several exhortations were delivered ; in the forenoon by John Pemberton, and in the afternoon by Daniel Brown and John Hunt. Those were the largest meetings we have had, being attended by sixty or seventy persons, mostly members of our Society. Friends were enabled to preach the doctrine of sal- vation with feeling energy.
About the close of the meeting, Samuel England, from Not-
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tingham, arrived. He brought us letters from our friends George Churchman and T. Lancaster, informing us of the sympathy of our friends, and of our families being well, on the 16th ultimo. He showed us a letter from George Churchman, giving an account of a visit paid General Howe, and also to General Washington, by some Friends, in order to remove prejudices against our Society, which it is hoped had some good effect.
We have experienced great inconvenience at being very much crowded at our landlord's, as well as also incommoding his family. This, and the heavy charge of board, have induced several of us to seek for board at our friends' families in the country round. The subject came to be considered this even- ing, and the inconvenience to arise from our separation. It was concluded to keep up our meetings on first and fourth days, as usual; to meet as occasion otherwise required, and to leave those at liberty to remove to other lodgings. Our situa- tion at Philip Bush's had become very expensive and severe upon us.
The Board of War has declared that we must find ourselves. They only allow us to have what we want at our own expense ; and on making an attempt to settle with Philip Bush, he would not take less than seventy-five shillings, hard money, Pennsyl- vania, per week, and we find three servants to help, our own bedding and washing, tea, sugar, and all our own drink of every sort except water.
9th day, and first day of the week .- There are thirteen of us who continued to board at Philip Bush's, and we were joined there, at our morning meeting, by Thomas Wharton, Owen Jones, Charles Eddy, Thomas Affleck, and Elijah Brown, and most of our landlord's family : a few strangers attended.
Our company being now separated, and our time being em- ployed in writing, reading, and visiting our friends in the neigh- bourhood, without any great variety, we think it unnecessary to remark the ordinary occurrences of every day.
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We shall, therefore, while that continues to be the case, con- fine our journal to things of a general nature.
11 th day of 11th month .- Thomas Bails and William Robin- son, from New Garden, in North Carolina, visited us. They were on their way to perform a religious visit to the Indians, for which they appeared to be under proper qualifications and resignation of mind ; leaving all, and at the risk of their lives engaging in this service from a sense of duty and universal love to mankind, engaged our sympathy and desire that they should be preserved in this time of difficulty and danger in the arduous undertaking.
Thomas Bails expects to spend the greater part of his days among the Indians; and having visited them before, he will be useful among them.
12th to 23d of 11th month.
On the 14th, Israel Pemberton, Samuel Pleasants, Thomas Fisher, and Miers Fisher, dined with Alexander White, Esq., by invitation, at his house about three miles from Winchester, and were kindly entertained.
Colonel Francis Peyton, of Loudon County, visited us.
Thomas Gilpin went to Major Holmes's at Newtown.
Our afternoon meeting on first day, having greatly increased, our landlord mentioned that we might have the use of a suitable place, belonging to the Lutherans and Calvinists, to meet in. On considering it would be more convenient, and that the in- habitants of the town might come there with greater freedom than to a private house, we accepted it, and an afternoon meet- ing was held there this day, for the first time, to which many came of divers denominations.
It was a satisfactory time. Our friend John Hunt, in a clear and edifying manner, preached the Gospel of peace and salva- tion.
25th of 11th month and 1st of the week .- Sixteen of our number attended our morning meeting, also several of our
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landlord's family, and Daniel M'Pherson, jun. and John M'Pherson. The afternoon meeting was held in the same house that it was on first day last, and was very near full. Our friends John Hunt and John Pemberton had very accepta- ble service in both.
25th of 11th month .- About seven o'clock this evening, our friends John Parrish and John James, from Philadelphia, paid us a visit, and gave us an account of the welfare of our families and of friends there, to our great satisfaction.
27th .- Some part of our company attended the preparatory meeting at Hopewell. In the evening there was a remarkably brilliant aurora borealis. It continued very luminous a conside- rable time; it extended for about 65 degrees along the horizon at the northeast, and about 45 degrees high, of a rich crimson colour ; the air clear; the stars shone through it; after which it parted : the largest body went more to the north, the rest east.
28th .- Our company assembled agreeably to appointment to take into consideration our singular situation for near three months past. That we have been deprived of our liberties and separated from our friends and families, without learning that our oppressors gave any attention to our sufferings, or that they intend to restore us to our just rights.
It was left under the particular care of such as are inclined to revive a representation of our grievances, to propose to us what measures the occasion might seem to require.
30th .- Snow had fallen the 28th and 29th to become fifteen inches deep. Thomas Gilpin and Elijah Brown, from the country, and Thomas Pleasants and Ezekiel Edwards, our landlady and her children, attended our morning meeting, which was silent till near the end, when our friend John Pem- berton spoke very acceptably. Our afternoon meeting was attended by the above mentioned, and also by our friends John Parrish, John James, and a number of Friends from the neigh- bourhood, and some from a distance, on their way to the monthly meeting at Hopewell. The meeting consisted of about
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sixty persons, and on account of the deep snow was held at our lodgings.
Winchester, 2d day of 12th month, 1777 .- Our friends John James and John Parrish attended our meeting to-day. This day Thomas Gilpin, who went to live at Isaac Brown's, re- turned to us at Philip Bush's.
8th .- Second day of the week. The essay of " Observations on the charges made against us in the several resolves of Con- gress," was corrected, agreed to, and a fair copy ordered to be made. It was concluded to send it to "The Meeting for Suffering at Philadelphia," and if approved by them, they are left at liberty to publish it. Israel Pemberton and Henry Drinker are to prepare a letter to accompany it.
William Drewet Smith soon afterwards rode out to take the air, as we expected, but not returning as usual, we apprehend he has gone to Philadelphia.
12th .- Major Joseph Holmes, under whose care we have been for some time placed by the Board of War, dined with us. When he was informed of Dr. William D. Smith having left us, and our apprehensions that he had gone to Philadelphia, he proposed to send an express to Congress about it, but he de- ferred it till second day next.
While we were considering " The Memorial to Congress" which we entered upon, after our meeting for worship, we were informed that Joseph Holmes, who attended, had some fresh instructions to communicate concerning us, which are in a further order from the Board of War, to wit:
" The Board of War having had sundry intercepted letters laid before them from several of the Quakers, prisoners stationed at Winchester, in the State of Virginia, by which it appears they have kept up a correspondence with several others of that Society, in this and the neighbouring States, without previously showing their letters to the American Commissary of prisoners, or to any other proper officer at that place; in the course of which correspondence it also appears that a certain Owen
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Jones, jun., one of the said prisoners, is carrying on with sun- dry persons in the town of Lancaster, a traffic highly injurious to the credit of the Continental currency, by exchanging gold at a most extravagant premium for paper money. And whereas, it is represented to this Board, that since the residence of the above-mentioned prisoners at Winchester, the confidence of the inhabitants in that quarter in the currency of these States has been greatly diminished, especially among the persons of the same Society with themselves.
" Ordered, That Owen Jones, jun., be forthwith removed under guard to Staunton, in the county of Augusta, there to be closely confined in jail, and debarred the use of pen, ink, and paper, unless for such purposes and for such occasions as the Lieutenant of the said county, or some person appointed by him for that purpose, shall deem expedient.
" That the remainder of the prisoners sent from the State of Pennsylvania, be removed under the same guard to Staunton, and delivered to the county Lieutenant of Augusta, who is hereby directed to require of them a parole or affirmation, that they will not, directly or indirectly, do or say any thing tending to the prejudice of these States, agreeably to the form herewith transmitted ; and in case of refusal, the said county Lieutenant is hereby requested to confine the said persons in some secure building, under proper guards, and subject to the same restric- tions with Owen Jones, jun., before mentioned.
" That copies of these orders, together with the intercepted letters from Owen Jones, jun., be transmitted to Mr. Joseph Holmes, and to the county Lieutenant of Augusta ; who are desired to carry the above measures into immediate execution.
" Extract from the minutes, and signed
" By order of the Board of War. " JOSEPH NOURSE, " Deputy Secretary."
Joseph Nourse also produced a copy of a letter from Owen Jones, Jr., and the following deposition taken at Yorktown.
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The name of the person was erased, but the substance was-
-, of Yorktown, in the State of Pennsylvania, being duly examined, and sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and sayeth, That being last week at Winchester, in the State of Virginia, he heard several of the inhabitants complain heavily, that since the Tories of the Quaker Society who were sent up from Philadelphia, had been enlarged, and permitted to reside at the Quaker houses in the vicinity of the town, the inhabitants of that Society, who are numerous in that part of the country, have very generally re- fused to take Continental money."
Some of our company attempting to walk out, found guards were placed at the doors without our being previously informed of it, and we are again made close prisoners. We soon after learned that Joseph Holmes, before he communicated these orders to us, had given directions to David Kennedy to provide wagons for our immediate removal.
The injustice and cruelty of this order to remove us being laid before Joseph Holmes, he was informed of our being then met to conclude on a memorial to Congress, which we ex- pected to have sent by some one of our number : this he in- formed us he could by no means now agree to. Then we pro- posed to prepare one and he to go with it, which he declined ; but at length agreed that we might send a representation to Congress, and wait their further determination concerning us.
Those of our company who lodge in the country had leave to go thither, having agreed to meet us again to-morrow morning.
18th day .- Our company collected at eleven o'clock, when the subject of yesterday was resumed. Israel Pemberton, Ed- ward Pennington, Henry Drinker, and Miers Fisher, were appointed to prepare an essay of a memorial to " The Con- gress," and to the Council of Pennsylvania.
Joseph Holmes, Alexander White, David Kennedy, and John Magill, being with us this morning, John Holmes was
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urged particularly by A. White and John Magill to go with our memorial. In this, as well as a consideration of our present circumstances, he showed a very friendly disposition. They dined with us, and it was proposed to Alexander White to go, (J. Holmes continuing to decline it,) to which he pro- mised to let us know in the morning. In the afternoon our guards were ordered away, and those of our company who live in the country permitted to go there.
19th .- We received a note from Alexander White, Esq., in- forming us of his conclusion to undertake our business.
Our kind friends, John Parrish and John James, who had from brotherly regard undertaken so long a journey to visit us, took an affectionate leave of us this afternoon, and set out for the Quarterly Meeting at Fairfax, Loudon County.
Our company being all met, in the evening our memorial was read to Alexander White, Esq., David Kennedy, and Philip Bush, who all expressed their approbation of it. The two first mentioned, that if we were discharged, it would be expected we should give some assurance that we would not convey any intelligence, and urged our adding a paragraph thereon to the memorial, which we had proposed to do in our instruction to Alexander White. After they withdrew, taking it into consideration, we found ourselves easy to add an assurance, which was accordingly done.
Two fair copies of the memorial being made and signed, are as follows :
" TO THE CONGRESS, AND TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF PENNSYLVANIA.
" A memorial from the subscribers, inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia, who were sent from thence, and are now confined at Winchester, in Virginia, by order of the President and Council of Pennsylvania, in pursuance of a recommenda- tion of Congress, dated 28th day of August last.
" Having borne with patience an imprisonment of upwards of three months, at a great distance from our families, and
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having a proper sense of the value of that liberty of which we have been unjustly deprived, we apprehend it our duty to ourselves, and to our endeared connexions from whom we have been thus separated, and who must have suffered from our absence in this time of great calamity, to make some further application for our relief; and as our banishment was the act of both your bodies, we think it most proper to address you jointly.
" While we were preparing a memorial for this purpose, we were informed by Joseph Holmes, who has the care of the prisoners of war in this district, that he had received some directions from the Board of War, concerning us, which he soon after communicated.
" We were much surprised at the substance of those direc- tions, and also that they should come from a Board which we apprehended had nothing to do with us ; as we were not found in arms, nor charged in any measures tending to war ; and of this opinion was Elias Boudinot, Esq., the Commissary-General for prisoners of war, who assured us at Reading on our way hither, that we could by no means whatever be considered as prisoners of war; and that if we had been, he should have had the charge of us, and would have interested himself in providing for our accommodation and support.
" Before we left Philadelphia, we applied to the Council by question in writing, through Lewis Nicola, town major, to know to whose custody we should be committed while here ; they re- turned us for answer by him-
" That the Governor of Virginia would have the charge of us. In consequence of which, soon after our arrival here, we presented an address to the Governor and Council of Virginia, together with copies of the papers accompanying us, request- ing them to enlarge our bounds, and not permit us to be re- moved further from home; that we might be speedily heard in our own defence, and in the mean time that we should be supported and maintained, according to the expectations given us before our banishment.
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" Whereupon, the Council advised the Governor, and he adopted the advice, to direct the lieutenant of this county to allow us the benefit of air and exercise, and to afford us pro- tection and humane treatment; and in the mean time to write to the Council of Pennsylvania, informing them of the situa- tion of their prisoners at Winchester. Whether the Governor of Virginia has ever written on the subject or not, we have not yet been informed, but apprehend we are under his immediate direction in this place, and ought not to be removed further by the Board of War, or indeed by any other power, without his concurrence.
" The reasons assigned by the Board of War on their order for our removal, are very inadequate to so great an aggrava- tion of our sufferings. They are comprehended under three heads. These we shall endeavour to answer so fully as to in- duce you to interfere with them to prevent their being carried into execution.
" The charges against us are :
" First. That we have held a correspondence with divers of our friends, without communicating our letters to a proper officer.
" Second. That Owen Jones, Jr., one of our company, had exchanged gold at an extravagant premium, whereby the Con- tinental currency became much depreciated in these parts.
" Third. That since our coming here, the confidence of the inhabitants, and especially those of our Society, in Continental money, was diminished.
" To the first. Though we never were informed that it was necessary, our letters to our families and friends should be in- spected by any officer here; we did offer them on our first arrival to the lieutenant of the county, who politely declined reading them, and expressing his confidence that we should not communicate any public intelligence, permitted us to send our letters without any application to him. And we have been careful not to give any cause of offence in what we have written, having confined our correspondence to our families
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and our friends, and the subjects in our letters to our private concerns ; many of them have gone through the public channels, where they have been or might be examined.
" For an answer to the second. We refer to state of the case of Owen Jones, Jr., by him sent to James Duane, Esq., mem- ber of Congress, to be laid before you.
" To the third. Requires particular delicacy in answering. But as it seems to carry an insinuation that we have been the cause of the diminution of the confidence of the people in the Continental currency, it is necessary we should say so much upon the subject as will vindicate ourselves.
" Upon our arrival here, we found that currency depreciated, as it was in other places, to a very considerable degree ; or what is the same thing, all articles of life risen to enormous prices. The people of the neighbourhood, as well traders as farmers, unwilling to part with their merchandise or produce of any sort, but by way of barter for other necessaries they were in need of ; and this prevailed so much among people of all denominations, that we could not procure our board in the town of Winchester, at a lesser rate than five times the former accustomed price, although we were provided with most if not all the foreign articles we used ; and as many of us had no other money to pay for what we wanted, it was our interest to make it go as far as we could ; nor have any of us ex- changed gold or silver with the inhabitants at any rate, except in one instance, of three half johannes, spared to a goldsmith on his application, to work them up, or used any other means to lessen the value of the Continental currency, nor expended gold or silver in the purchase of any articles, but such as could not easily be had for any other money. If then, the confidence of the people in that money is diminished, it must be ascribed to other causes than to our residence here.
" These hints will, we hope, be sufficient to show that the causes assigned for our removal, will not justify so rigorous a proceeding.
" The removing of us an hundred miles further from home
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at the most inclement season of the year; along a road ren- dered by the weather very difficult to be passed by carriages ; through a country thinly settled, where accommodation for so great a number of persons, several of whom are aged, and others very infirm of body, cannot be had at a place where we are utter strangers, and where we shall be at such a distance from our distressed families, that we shall seldom hear of their situation at a time when our care and attention to them is most wanted, are punishments which could only be inflicted for crimes of a deep dye.
" But this is not all. An affirmation or oath is to be tendered to us when we arrive there, and upon our refusal, we are to be closely confined to a house, without the use of pen, ink, or paper ; contrary to the repeated assurances given us, that we were to be treated with humanity and politeness, agreeably to our characters and stations.
" We have heretofore declared in the most positive terms our innocence of giving any cause for the suspicions entertained against us. We have never had any hearing of any kind, nor have been convicted of any offence. For these reasons we refused to sign the written promise offered to us at Philadelphia. The same reasons yet subsist ; we are as innocent now as then, and therefore cannot make ourselves voluntary prisoners, and thereby give colour to the proceedings against us.
" During our continuance here, no provision has been made for our support; nor does it appear that any is made for our journey to Staunton, or during our residence there, as we were given to understand by the Council should be done. And there are several among us who have no other dependence for the support of their families than their occupations, which they are by this means prevented from following.
" We therefore entreat you will take our suffering case into consideration, and review the whole proceedings had against us, when we doubt not you will find that we have given no just cause for our severe treatment, and that you will not only super- sede the orders given by the Board of War for our removal,
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but restore us to our liberty, that we may return to our families, whereby all occasion of future jealousy or suspicion against us will be removed, and you will experience that peace of mind which always accompanies the doing acts of justice to the oppressed. And in order to convince you that no incon- venience can thus arise to you from thus discharging us, we solemnly repeat the declarations we have heretofore made, that we have never held any correspondence verbally or other- wise, with the General of the British armies, or any others concerned in concerting or carrying on their military opera- tions ; and are free further to declare that we will not give them any information of the circumstances of this country, the disposition of the inhabitants, or any transactions respecting the contest between Great Britain and America, which may have come to our knowledge since our residence here.
" Being debarred from making a personal application, we have prevailed upon Alexander White, Esq., a gentleman of character in this neighbourhood, to wait on both your bodies with this memorial, who being well acquainted with the senti- ments of the people, and with our conduct, will be able to satisfy you further upon any particulars you may think proper to inquire into.
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