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 17
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The following is a copy of the orders given by the President and Council of Pennsylvania, to Captain James Lang and Francis Y. Baily, Esq., relative to their conduct to the prisoners on their route from Winchester, Virginia, to Pennsylvania.
"IN COUNCIL.
" Lancaster, April 10th, 1778.
" GENTLEMEN,-
" The enclosed resolves of the Council will show that you are appointed and authorized to conduct the prisoners sent from this state to Virginia, from Winchester, the place of their pre- sent confinement.
" It is reported that several of those gentlemen are in a bad state of health, and unfit to travel ; if you find this to be the case, they must be left where they are for the present. Those
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of them who are in health, you are to bring with you, treating them on the road with that polite attention and care which is due from men who act on the purest motives, to gentlemen whose stations in life entitle them to respect, however they may differ in political sentiments from those in whose power they are. You will please to give them every aid in your power by procuring the necessary means of travelling, in wagons or otherwise, with such baggage as may be convenient for them on the road.
"Enclosed is an order of the Board of War to Joseph Holmes, Esq., to deliver over those gentlemen to the order of the Council and for the delivery being made to you.
" Perhaps it may be convenient to divide those gentlemen into two companies, for their better accommodation on the road; in this respect you may consult the inclination and choice of the gentlemen themselves. Your own prudence and good sense will direct you in such incidents as may turn up, in which the Council have no doubt but that your conduct will justify their confidence in you.
" I am, gentlemen, with much respect, " Your very humble servant,
" THOMAS WHARTON, Jr. " To Francis Y. Baily and Captain James Lang."
It is proper to remark that this letter was the last official act of Thomas Wharton relative to the prisoners. He died at Lan- caster, 23d of May, 1778.
Four of the female relations, to wit, Mary Pleasants, Su- sanna Jones, Eliza Drinker, and Phebe Pemberton, came out of Philadelphia, and passed the English and American lines, to visit General Washington at his camp at Valley Forge, about the fourth of April, in order to procure permission to send pro- visions to their friends, and to meet them on their way home. They had written previously to General Washington the fol-
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lowing letter. This letter and visit produced the following letters from him to Governor Thomas Wharton, jun.
" Philadelphia, 31st of the 3d month, 1778.
" TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.
" Esteemed Friend,-
" The pressing necessity of an application to thee, when per- haps thy other engagements of importance may by it be inter- rupted, I hope will plead my excuse. It is on behalf of myself and the rest of the suffering and afflicted parents, wives, and near connexions of our beloved husbands, now in banishment at Winchester. What adds to our distress in this sorrowful circumstance is the account we have lately received of the removal of one of them by death, and that divers of them are much indisposed ; and as we find they are in want of necessaries proper for sick people, we desire the favour of General Wash- ington to grant a protection for one or more wagons, and for the persons we may employ to go with them, in order that they may be accommodated with what is suitable, for which we shall be much obliged.
" Signed, on behalf of the whole,
" MARY PEMBERTON."
" Headquarters, Valley Forge, 5th April, 1778.
" TO HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR WHARTON.
" Sir,-
" I take the liberty to enclose you a letter from Mrs. Mary Pemberton, requesting a passport for some wagons to be sent out with articles for the use of her husband and others now in confinement ; as the persons concerned are prisoners of the State, I did not think proper to comply with her request.
" I have assured her I would transmit the letter to you, and did not doubt but that the application would meet your early concurrence.
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" If you will be pleased to send the passport required, to me, I will convey it by a flag; the letter mentions one or more wagons. I dare say you will extend the indulgence as far as may be requisite and consistent with propriety.
" I have the honour to be, sir,
" Your most obedient servant,
"G. WASHINGTON."
" TO HIS EXCELLENCY THOMAS WHARTON, ESQ., AT LANCASTER.
" Headquarters, Valley Forge, 6 April, 1778. " Sir,-
" Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Pleasants, and two other ladies connected with the Quakers confined at Winchester, Virginia, waited upon me this day for permission to pass to Yorktown, to en- deavour to obtain the release of their friends.
" As they were admitted by the officer of the advanced picket to come within the camp, I thought it safer to suffer them to proceed than oblige them to return immediately to the city.
" You will judge of the propriety of permitting them to pro- ceed further than Lancaster, but from appearances I imagine their request may be safely granted. As they seem much dis- tressed-humanity pleads strongly in their behalf.
" I have the honour to be, sir, " Your most obedient servant, " G. WASHINGTON."
The committee of women on their arrival at Lancaster heard of the resolves of the Council, and applied directly to the President and Council to obtain an alteration in the place of our discharge, that we should be brought to the borough of Lancaster. This appears from an extract of a letter from Timothy Matlack to James Pemberton, dated 10th of April, 1778 ; and the resolve is as follows :
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"IN COUNCIL.
" Lancaster, 10th April, 1778.
" Ordered, That the prisoners now in Virginia be brought to this borough, to be discharged there.
" Extract from the minutes, " TIMOTHY MATLACK, " Secretary."
JOURNAL CONTINUED.
Winchester, 16th day of 4th month, 1778.
James Pemberton received a letter from Timothy Matlack, dated Lancaster, 10th of April, 1778, as follows :
" A day or two ago, Council received from the Board of War an order to Mr. Holmes, at Winchester, to deliver the prisoners of this state under his care, to the order of the Coun- cil, who have sent forward Mr. Francis Y. Baily and Captain James Lang to receive and conduct you to this borough, where you will be se at liberty, soon after your arrival.
" It was intended to have set you at liberty at Shippensburg, but at the request of your wife, (Phebe Pemberton,) Susanna Jones, Mary Pleasants, and Eliza Drinker, the first resolution was altered. They came here with an address to Council, re- questing the liberty of the prisoners, signed by the wives and near relations of your company.
" The time of their arrival here was very lucky, as a few hours of delay would have lost the opportunity of obtaining this alteration, which appears to me much in your favour.
" Although you may think, when you shall have read the enclosed law, 'For the further security of the government,' your case is sufficiently hard ; the law requires your attention, and may greatly affect the property of some of you; it there- fore deserves your most serious consideration on your way to
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this place, as you will have to take such measures as your judg- ment may point out to you soon after your arrival here. It is necessary to say this, lest you should not advert to the law be- fore your arrival."
The paragraph of the law to which Timothy Matlack re- ferred is as follows. The law being entitled, " An Act for the further security of the Government."
" SECTION VI .- And whereas, many persons have frequently gone into the City of Philadelphia, since the same has been in possession of the British army, under a pretence of business, or of visiting friends, but probably with a view of giving intelli- gence to the enemy ; for the prevention of which in future
" Be it enacted, That if any person whatsoever shall, from and after the publication of this act, on any pretence whatso- ever, go by land or water through or from any part of this state into the said city while in possession of the British army, or within the lines of the enemy in any part of this state, with- out obtaining leave in writing for that purpose, from Congress, the commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States of America, or of the Executive Council of this commonwealth, and shall be lawfully convicted thereof in any Court of Oyer and Terminer, and general jail delivery, or Court of Quarter Sessions of the peace for any county of this state, he or she shall be fined in any sum not less than fifty pounds, and impri- soned at the discretion of the court," &c.
From which it is evident that the resolve ordering us to be brought to Shippensburg would have subjected us to further diffi- culty, and that the design of our release was by no means justly accomplished, but which under Providence, by the arrival of the good women and their seasonable application to Council, was frustrated, by directing we should be brought to Lancaster.
18th of 4th month, and seventh day of the week .- We were informed that Captain James Lang and Francis Y. Baily arrived last night at Winchester. Some part of our company
15
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went to confer with them, and they freely communicated the instructions they had concerning us.
They are to escort us to Lancaster, to see that we have civil treatment on our journey. But as they and the horses require rest, it would not be suitable for them to set out for two or three days. They therefore propose we should go on and join them at Fredericktown, Maryland, on the 24th, which is agreeable to the company.
RETURN JOURNEY TO PENNSYLVANIA.
On the 19th day of 4th month, 1778, first day of the week, having our baggage packed up and left in the care of our landlord, David Brown, to be sent to Winchester, we took leave of the family and set off about ten o'clock,-Israel Pem- berton, John Pemberton, James Pemberton, Henry Drinker, and Samuel Pleasants, inmates of the house of David Brown, from the 16th of the 3d month,-having been very kindly enter- tained by him and his wife, Sarah Brown. We went to Centre Meeting in the morning, and at the conclusion of the meeting to-day, several Friends, who had shown us much kindness in the course of our exile, were present, and we took an affec- tionate leave of each other.
Several of us went over to Lewis Neal's to dinner, and there met with Alexander White, Esq., Thomas Fisher, Samuel R. Fisher, and Miers Fisher, who have lived there about a month.
We stayed at night at the Widow Smith's, the sister of our landlady, Sarah Brown. Were kindly entertained in a very genteel manner, the neatest accommodation for lodging, our horses well taken care of, and on a beautiful farm in good order.
20th day of 4th month, second day of the week .- Set off on a cool morning. Crossed the Shenandoah River in a ferry- boat; and crossed the South Mountain at very high and beau-
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tiful prospects, and reached our friend Mahlon Janney's, in Loudon County, about five o'clock, where we were received by him and his wife Sarah with cordial welcome. We spent the evening there, and had most comfortable lodgings. He has a place about a mile from Fairfax meeting, with a mill, in a very fertile country, though the land generally is not so rich as it is in Frederick County.
21st .- A pleasant morning. Our friend Mahlon Janney went with us to John Hough's, where we met with our exiled brethren Thomas Wharton, Owen Jones, jun., Edward Pennington, and Thomas Fisher, Samuel R. Fisher, and Miers Fisher, who came over about noon, and went home with Joseph Janney.
22d .- We parted with our kind friends, Mahlon and Sarah Janney, to go toward Fredericktown. We crossed the Potomac River at the ferry, about three o'clock, and were very kindly entertained at R. Richardson's, where Dr. Parke and James Morton had been so kindly received on their way from Win- chester.
23d, fourth day of the week .- We reached Fredericktown to breakfast. All our company being now assembled here, and where we met our escort, Captain James Lang and Francis Y. Baily, after a conference we agreed to meet again in the morn- ing at Yorktown, which we accomplished.
24th, fifth day of the week .- We stopped at Yorktown at the house of George Updegraff, where General Gates, who re- sided next door, came to see us, and after we had our horses taken care of, we waited on him.
He received us with much openness and civility, and said " If I had been in Philadelphia at the time of your being arrested and sent into exile, I would have prevented it."
He told us that intelligence had just been received of resolu- tions of the Parliament of Great Britain, and that they were proposed to be enacted into laws, repealing several of the acts oppressive to America, and appointing Commissioners to come over to treat with the Americans for settling the unhappy con- test ; at all of which, General Gates seemed much pleased, and
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he said he thought Great Britain had agreed to all the Ameri- cans had heretofore asked or contended for.
After some further conversation respecting our exile and journey, we informed him we had agreed to meet our escorts at this town, and that we had come on by their permission, having left them at Fredericktown.
We were desirous to go on to Lancaster if he approved of it; and he cheerfully signified it under his handwriting, and mentioned that as the wind was very high, we might meet with delay at Susquehanna Ferry.
He therefore gave us an order to Major Eyre, the command- ing officer there, to assist us over in a boat belonging to the public, which we accepted, as follows :
" Yorktown, 24th of April, 1778. " Sir,-
" Mr. Thomas Fisher and his company are on their way to Lancaster, pursuant to an order of the Executive Council of this State. The General desires you will see them put over the river in your skiffs, provided the other boat cannot go.
" I am, your humble servant,
" ISAAC PIERCE.
" Major Eyre, at Wright's Ferry."
Went to see Thomas Mifflin, who offered the like assistance, and treated us with much civility ; he wrote to Major Eyre to furnish us with horses to go to Lancaster, in case it would be impracticable to get our own over the river, which we all ac- cepted, and went on after having made a short stay in the town to see many of our fellow-citizens, who had taken refuge there whilst the British army retained possession of Philadelphia.
Samuel Pleasants and James Pemberton set off about 11 o'clock, and found on our reaching Wright's Ferry at the Sus- quehanna River, the orders from General Gates and Thomas Mifflin to be very useful to us, the wind being high, and the boats on the opposite side. We were put over by four ship
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carpenters, who were building boats for the American service, to convey the army over in case of need.
On our arrival on shore, after a ready passage, we found Major Eyre, in company with several other military officers, and on our making ourselves known to him, and delivering the letters from General Gates and Thomas Mifflin, he very cheer- fully offered us horses to go to Lancaster, having been obliged to leave our own on the other side of the river, on account of the high wind; but having sufficient time, and observing the wind to abate, Major Eyre sent the ferry-boat over, and within about two hours the horses were brought to us.
About four o'clock we set off, and passing through Lan- caster, reached J. Webb's, where we found all our female con- nexions, Phoebe Pemberton, Mary Pleasants, Susanna Jones, and Eliza Drinker, in good health, waiting our arrival; from them we had an account of their proceedings, and of their application to the members of the Council personally, and by a suitable memorial, to alter the place to which the Council had at first ordered us to be escorted and set at liberty.
25th of 4th month, seventh day of the week .- In the after- noon we met and appointed a committee to acquaint Thomas Wharton, jun., President of the Council, of our being come to Lancaster, agreeably to the appointment of Council ; and that we were desirous to have an interview with that Board, being ready to answer any matters they had against us, in support of their depriving us of our liberty, and detaining us so long in exile.
He received the committee civilly, and informed us that the Council had adjourned till second day morning ; that he would deliver our message when the Council met, but recommended us to commit to writing what we thought necessary to say to them. He stated it to be his opinion, that the Council would not admit us to have a personal interview with them.
26th day of 4th month, first day of the week. - We attended Friends' meeting at Lancaster. All our fellow-exiles
-
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were present ; and in the course of the day had a conversation with Timothy Matlack, Secretary to the Council.
Having been informed that the Council would not admit us to a personal interview, we drew up the following short memo- rial, to be presented to them at their meeting, on second day morning.
"TO THE PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL OF PENNSYLVANIA.
" We the subscribers, inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia, having been there arrested and banished to Winchester, in Vir- ginia, by your authority, upon groundless suspicions, without any offence being laid to our charge ; and being now brought to this place by your messenger, after a captivity of near eight months, think it our duty to apply to you to be reinstated in the full enjoyment of the liberty of which we have been so long deprived.
" We are your real friends,
Thomas Fisher, Israel Pemberton,
Samuel R. Fisher,
James Pemberton,
Miers Fisher,
Edward Pennington,
Thomas Affleck,
John Pemberton,
Elijah Brown, Thomas Wharton,
William Smith, Henry Drinker,
Owen Jones, Jr. Samuel Pleasants,
Charles Eddy, Charles Jervis.
" Lancaster, 26th day of the 4th month, 1778."
Lancaster, 27th day of the 4th month .- Our company met this morning. We signed the memorial to the President and Council, gave it to the Secretary, to be laid before the Board ; and after we had waited about two hours, the Secre- tary came to us, and informed us that the subject-matter had been duly considered and debated in Council, which had come to the following determination, and directed him to deliver us
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a copy thereof, and to inform us that any further application to them on the subject was unnecessary, as they would not hear us.
"IN COUNCIL.
" Lancaster, April 27th, 1778.
" The case of the prisoners brought from Virginia, now in this borough, being considered, thereupon ordered :
" That they be immediately sent to Pottsgrove in the county of Philadelphia, and there be discharged from their confine- ment, and that they be furnished with a copy of this order, which shall be deemed a discharge.
" Extract from the minutes.
" TIMOTHY MATLACK, " Secretary."
FORM OF A PASS TO EACH PRISONER.
"James Pemberton, of the city of Philadelphia, gentleman, one of the prisoners referred to by the above order of the Council, is hereby permitted, with his horses, servants, and baggage, to pass unmolested into the county of Philadelphia, agreeably to said order, which is to be respected as his discharge.
" TIMOTHY MATLACK,
" Secretary."
On reading the resolve, we represented to the Secretary the injustice of the proceeding of the Council, and their unreason- able determination to decline restoring us to our full liberty, that we might return to our families from whom they had in the most arbitrary manner violently separated us, and unjustly detained us in exile almost eight months, without exhibiting any manner of accusation against us ; and now, as at first, re- fusing to hear us in our defence.
The Secretary told us that any further application would be
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ineffectual. And he used many arguments to prevail on us to decline making it. On which we had to separate, after urging the Secretary to send forward the baggage-wagon, when it came to Lancaster, which he said should be taken care of.
John Pemberton was not easy to go on without having some further conversation with the Secretary, or some members of the Council ; he being dissatisfied with the resolve relating to our release. Several others of the party proceeded part of the way towards Pottsgrove, and some waited till morning.
28th .- John Pemberton had an opportunity to converse with the Secretary, and although he did not succeed in obtaining an alteration of the resolve of Council, he concluded to go on with us on the direct road towards the city. The females went on in the carriage they came in, and Israel Morris attended them on horseback.
After we had rode on about a mile, we were met by several Friends coming on to see us, who understood we were not satisfied with the manner of our releasement ; we parted with them after we had gone on a few miles, and we reached our friend, Robert Valentine's, in the evening.
We concluded that our friend, Israel Morris, should go on early in the morning, to General Washington, at headquarters, with the pass given him by the President and Council for the women, which required an endorsement from the General, to enable them to return into the city; and a few lines being drawn up for that purpose, directed to him, they signed it.
29th .- Fourth day of the week. A pleasant cool morning. Israel Morris set off early, with the letter and pass to General Washington. Several Friends came to see us, and we went on to Edward Jones's at Radnor, where by appointment Israel Morris met us, having accomplished the business he went about with expedition ; and he brought us likewise a pass signed by the General's Secretary, Tench Tilghman, Esquire, for permission for us four persons to proceed to Philadelphia unmolested, which was satisfactory to all of us, and we esteemed it a proof of the General's sense of justice and politeness.
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About three o'clock we passed the picket guard, at the sign of the Sorrel Horse, at Radnor, where Colonel Livingston commanded; we showed him our papers, which he said were quite sufficient. He invited us to come into his house, but we acknowledged his civility, and pursued our journey. As it was too late to go into the city, we went to the house of our friend, John Roberts, which we reached about six o'clock, where we were kindly received by his wife, John Roberts having been under the necessity to reside in the city since it has been in possession of the British forces, in consequence of some exception the Americans had taken against him, and by whom he had suffered considerably in his property.
30th day of the 4th month, 1778, fifth day of the week .- We set off from John Roberts's about 9 o'clock in the morning, and although we were under pleasant feelings at our return, these were considerably abated by observing, as we approached to the city, the devastations committed by the English army in their excursions around it. The fences being generally de- stroyed, the fields of grass and corn left exposed, houses demo- lished, and left desolate, which sorrowful appearance extends for some miles round the city.
Thus, through the favour of Divine Providence, we were restored to our families, in a way and at a time we had little reason to expect it, which is worthy our humble gratitude, in addition to the many mercies we have experienced in our exile. And it should be a cause of further confidence in Divine Pro- vidence, to endure such dispensations as may be permitted to us, through the future part of our lives.
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CONCLUSION.
In concluding the Narrative of the Friends in Exile, it should be considered that their banishment was one of those trials of faith which the Friends so frequently had to undergo in Europe in order to sustain their peaceable principles ; and which they had hoped they would never have to experience in a country where they had secured the liberty of conscience as a birth- right to all the people of the land.
No charges of a political character could be sustained against the exiles, and the examination which was made of their con- duct during the period of their banishment, eventually left them without accusation-so that when party spirit subsided, the government was embarrassed by the reproach of having deeply injured innocent citizens, towards whom they had committed an act of great injustice.
As soon as the troubles of the Revolution subsided, and the organization of a consistent government had taken place, by which freedom and the rights of man were restored to society, a just estimate of their principles and conduct became once more acknowledged ; and the position they had before retained was fully understood, and granted them, wherever their civil or political relations extended.
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