USA > Wyoming > A sketch of the history of Wyoming > Part 6
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with their bayonets, when Capt. Craig himself en- tered the apartment, drove the soldiers back and prevented further bloodshed. The Fort being thus taken, the principal portion of the garrison were again sent to prison at Easton, but Capt. Butler and a few others were conducted to Philadelphia where they were confined.
Ogden and his party then plundered the settle- ment of whatever moveable property they could find, and having formed a garrison in the Fort, withdrew with his booty to the settlements below the mountains where most of his men resided .--- The Connecticut party having disappeared, the garrison considered themselves as secure, the Fort being in a good state of defence ; but on the 18th of December about 3 o'clock in the morning, while the garrison were asleep, a body of armed men, consisting of twenty-three persons from Han- over in Lancaster county, and six from New England, under the command of Capt. Lazarus Stewart, suddenly entered the fort and gave the alarm to the garrison by a general huzza for King George. The garrison at this time consisted of only eighteen men besides a considerable number of women and children, who occupied several hou- ses erected within the ramparts of the Fort. Six of the men made their escape by leaping from the parapet, and flying naked to the woods ; the re- maining twelve were taken prisoners, who, with the women and children, after being deprived of their moveable property, were driven from the Val- ley, and Stewart and his party garrisoned the Forts
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CHAPTER III.
Fort Durkee besieged-Nathan Ogden killedhmm. Fort Durkee abandoned-Wyoming Fort built and besieged-Amos Ogden escapes from the Fort-Pennsylvania Garrison re-enforced by troops under Col. Clayton. Wyoming Fort surrendered to the Connecticut forces-Civil Go- vernment established at Wyoming as a separate Colony-Wilkesbarre built-Connecticut sends Commissioners to treat with Pennsylvania-Ne- gociations on that subject-Wyoming settlements apply to be taken under the protection of Con- necticut-Civil Government established there by Connecticut-Connecticut settlement on the West Branch of the Susquehanna destroyed-War with England-Wyoming settlers apply to Con- gress-Resolutions of that body-Plunket's ex- pedition to Wyoming-Invasion by the British and Indians-Battle and Massacre of Wyoming -Wilkesbarre burnt-Skirmish at Laurel Run -Arrival of General Sullivan's army-His vic- tory over the Indians-Decree at Trenton- Pennsylvania Commissioners sent to Wyoming -Great Ice-freshet-Inhabitants of Wyoming driven from their settlements by Pennsylvania troops-Murder of Pierce and Garret-Garri- son formed at Forty-Fort.
Frontier warfare has been in all ages and in all countries much the same, an irregular and unre- strained exhibition of the human passions ; and the reader will observe in the troubles at Wyoming,
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and the " border wars" of former times, as great a similarity as the situation of the country, and the improvements in the art of war, would permit. Fort Durkee, and Ogden's block-house, like two ancient Castles, became alternately the property of the victorious party, and an indiscriminate plun- der was the consequence of a defeat.
After Ogden's house had been plundered and consumed, the Judges of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued warrants for the arrest of Laz- arus Stewart, Lazarus Young and Zebulon But- ler, for the crime of arson, and in pursuance of one of these warrants Stewart was arrested in Leb- anon, Pennsylvania ; but a number of his asso- ciates being near, and hearing of his arrest, sud- denly rode into the town under arms to rescue him, and on their approach Stewart knocked down the Constable and joined his companions, who having bid defiance to the civil authority of the village, de- liberately departed with Stewart at their head. Information being now received that Stewart and his party were in possession of Fort Durkee, a new warrant was issued by Thomas Willing, Esq. a Judge of the Supreme Court, for his apprehension, directed to Peter Hacklein, Esq. Sheriff of North- ampton County, who raised a posse and proceeded to Wyoming, where he arrived on the 18th. of Jan- uary, 1771, and demanded admittance into the Fort. Stewart informed him from the parapet that none but friends could be admitted ; that Wy- oming was under the jurisdiction of Connecticut, and that he should recognize no authority whatey.
H*
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er in any persons acting under commissions from the Government of Pennsylvania. The approach of night closed this parley, and the Sheriff and his- posse withdrew to a new block-house which Ogden and his party had began to build. Finding that & siege would perhaps be necessary, the next day (being Sunday,) the Sheriff and his posse assisted Ogden in completing and fortifying his block-house. On Monday morning Nathan Ogden accompanied the Sheriff and his posse to the Fort, when admit- tance was again demanded and refused, upon which Ogden and his party commenced a fire upon the Fort. The fire was immediately returned by which Ogden was killed, and three others wound- ed. The Sheriff and his posse, having secured the body of Ogden, withdrew to the block-house to consult upon further measures, which occupied the day ; and during the following night Stewart and about forty of his party abandoned the Fort. leaving it in the possession of twelve men who the next day surrendered to the Sheriff and his posse» Gov. Penn in his message to the General Assem- bly represents this transaction as a most treach .. erous murder, and by their recommendation offer- ed a reward of three hundred pounds for the appre- hension of Lazarus Stewart. The Sheriff having given possession of the Fort to Amos Ogden, with- drew with his prisoners to Easton, and Ogden formed a garrison and induced most of his former associates to return to their possessions. Affairs there continued quiet until the 6th. of July when upwards of seventy of the Connecticut party armed
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and under the command of Captain Zebulon But -. der, joined by a party under the command of Capt. Lazarus Stewart, returned to Wyoming to recov- er possession of their lands. Ogden and his party, consisting of men, women and children, amounted at that time to eighty-two persons, who immedi- ately took refuge in the Fort and prepared for their defence. This was a new Fort built on the bank of the River a short distance above Fort Durkee to which Ogden had given the name of Wyoming Fort. On the night of the 9th. of July the Connec- ticut party commenced the erection of two small redoubts ; one on the bank of the river a little be- low and within musket shot of the Fort-the other on the point of a hill a short distance above the Fort, having command of the river. These en- trenchments were so far completed by day-break as to afford protection to the detachments occupied in their construction. The following day two oth# er entrenchments were formed, one on the West side of the river opposite the Fort, and the other further up the hill on the East side. A few days afterwards re-enforcements arrived to the Connes- ticut party which then amounted to about one hun- dred and fifty effective men. Wyoming Fort was by these means completely invested, and all com munication with the surrounding country entirely cut off ; but the garrison possessed the means of defending themselves as long as their provision's and ammunition should last. Ogden who was ig- norant of the actual strength of the Connecticut party, seeing himself thus besieged without any
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prospect of escape or of receiving supplies, and knowing the necessity of conveying intelligence and applying for assistance, to the Government of Pennsylvania, resolved upon an attempt, which, for resolution and courage may vie with the most celebrated individual actions of modern times. On the night of the 12th. of July, he escaped from the Fort by the following means. Having tied a. portion of his clothes in a bundle, with his hat upon the top of them, and having connected them to his body by a cord of several feet in length, he com- mitted himself to the river, and floated gently down the current, with the bundle following him at the end of the cord. Three of the redoubts commanded the river for a considerable distance above and below, and the centinels by means of the star-light observing some object floating upon the river which excited suspicion, commenced a fire upon it, which was continued from two of the re- doubts for some time, until observing that its mo- tion was very uniform and no faster than the cur- rent, their suspicions and their firing ceased. Og- den escaped unhurt, but his clothes and hat were pierced with several balls. He arrived at Phila- delphia on the 15th. and immediately communica- ted to the Council the unpleasant situation of the little Colony at Wyoming.
On the following day the Council resolved " That an hundred men should be hired to accom- pany the Sheriff to Wyoming for the purpose afore- said, and that a quantity of provisions should be immediately provided in town and sent up to
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Northampton ;" and " in order to defray the ex- penses which must necessarily arise, the Receiver General may be justified in paying the drafts of this Board for £300 .*
The troops thus hired for the reduction of Wy- oming were placed under the command of Colonel Asher Clayton ; and two divisions, one command- ed by Capt. Joseph Morris, and the other by Capt. John Dick, were to march at different times through the swamp. While measures were taking to raise these troops, which it was found very dif- ficult to accomplish, the siege of Wyoming Fort was conducted with unabated rigor. Col. Dick having succeeded in collecting thirty-one men, af- ter receiving the provisions of nearly a hundred, set out with a number of pack-horses loaded with provisions for Wyoming, where he arrived on Tuesday the 30th, of July about the dawn of day. The Connecticut party had been apprized of his approach, and they had formed an ambuscade near the Fort to interrupt his march and secure the pro- visions, and as Capt. Dick and his men advanced they were fired upon from the bushes, and thrown into great confusion. Twenty two of them suc- ceeded in getting into the Fort, and the remainder, with four horses loaded with provisions fell into the hands of the Connecticut party. After the arrival of Capt. Dick the garrison consisted of forty-nine men able to bear arms, two wounded men, and forty-eight women and children. Upon this gar-
*See minutes of Council, Book U, page 209.
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rison a fire was commenced on the same day from four batteries or redoubts, and continued without much intermission until the night of the 10th of August. On the 11th. Capt. Butler sent a flag demanding a surrender of the Fort, but the garri- son having promptly refused to comply with the demand, the attack again commenced with a wood- en cannon, which burst at the second discharge. The garrison were induced to hold out under the hope of receiving re-enforcements ; for in addition to those who were expected to follow the detach. ment which had arrived, Capt. Dick had succeed- ed in despatching a messenger immediately after his arrival with an account of their situation ; and the Executive Council after considering his letter ordered that one hundred additional men be raised with the utmost expedition, and the President im- mediately advanced £300 to defray the expenses of the enterprize. The Fort continued to be close- ly besieged and the firing continued from day to day whenever any person appeared upon the ram- parts. The garrison had for many days been upon very short allowance, as the small quantity of provisions with which Capt. Dick succeeded in en- tering the Fort, served only as a temporary relief. On the 14th. of August, their provisions being all exhausted and no appearance of supplies, it was concluded to surrender the Fort to the Connecti- cut party, and articles of capitulation were agreed upon by which Col. Clayton and his troops, and Ogden and his party should all remove from Wy- øming.
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During the siege a number of persons were woun- ded in the Fort, and among others Amos Ogden, who being faint from the loss of blood, was recli- ning upon William Ridyard his junior officer, wnen a shot from the redoubt on the West bank of the river, entered the door of the block-house and instantly killed Ridyard who was the only person killed during the siege. The number of killed and wounded among the Connecticut party" was not ascertained. A re-enforcement of sixty men under the command of Capt. Andrew Ledlie, were sent by the Government of Pennsylvania for the relief of the garrison, and when the Fort sur- rendered they had advanced within ten miles of Wyoming, and were encamped upon a stream om the mountain called " Ten mile Run." Having at this place received information that the Fort was closely besieged, and that it would then be impracticable to enter with their provisions, Capt. Ledlie had concluded to send a quantity of Flour by way of the Lackawannock ten miles above the Fort, and to cross the river with a part of his forces; and commence an attack upon the block-house on the West side of the river. It was expected that this attack would draw the attention of the Con- necticut party to the defence of that post, and give an opportunity for the escort with the prison- ers to enter the Fort and relieve the garrison ; but just as this measure was about to be attempted, in- formation was received that the garrison had sur- rendered to the Connecticut forces. Capt. Ledlie then concluded to place guards upon the Shoholt,
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and Minisink roads to prevent the arrival of more troops from New England, and to occupy those stations until further orders .* The President of Council, in his message to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania on the 18th. of September 1771, gave a detailed account of these transactions, at the conclusion of which, he says :
" At length our people reduced to the last ex- tremity for want of provisions, were obliged to sur- render upon terms of capitulation. Since which itis reported that the intruders have burnt the block-house and are fortifying themselves at a more convenient place in the neighborhood, and that they have intentions of seizing on Fort Augustat and the Provincial cannon, and other warlike stores there."
The Council were of opinion that it was proper to open a correspondence with the Government of Connecticut on the subject of the late events at. Wyoming. Accordingly the President, James Hamilton, Esq. in a letter to Governor Trumbull of Connecticut dated Philadelphia, Oct. 4, 1771, after giving an account of these transactions, says:
" As the people concerned in these violent and hostile measures profess to act under the authority of your Government, and have made a capitu- lation expressly on behalf of the Government I have thought it proper and expedient to send
*See Ledlie's despatches of Aug. 15, 1771, on file in Secretary's office.
¿At Sunbury.
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a messenger to your honor on purpose to know with certainty whether they have proceeded in any sort under your countenance or authority or that of your Assembly, and as this must be a matter within your knowledge I make no doubt but you will despatch the express with a speedy answer."
Governor Trumbull in his answer dated at New Haven, Oct. 14, 1771, among other things, says: " The persons concerned in those transactions have no order and direction from me, or from the General Assembly of the Colony, for their pro- ceeding upon this occasion, and I am very confi- dent that the General Assembly, friends as they èver have been to peace and good order, will never countenance any violent, much less hostile meas- ures, in vindicating the right which the Susque- hanna Company suppose they have to the lands in that part of the country within the limits of the Charter of this Colony."
He then proceeds to inform President Hamilton that he understands each of the contending parties at Wyoming charge the other with having been the first gressors, and that it is not his province to determine between them. Governor Trumbull communicated this correspondence to the General Assembly which met the same month.
The Government of Pennsylvania, finding that the Connecticut forces had strongly fortified them- selves at Wyoming, and that their numbers rapid- ly increased, gave orders for withdrawing their troops, and left the Connecticut party in quiet possession of the Valley,
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The long contested plains of Wyoming appeared again to enjoy a season of peace, and the inhabit- ants began to feel the necessity of some system of civil Government, that which had hitherto existed being of a military nature. Accordingly a memo- rial was presented to the General Assembly of Connecticut by agents sent for that purpose, rep- resenting that the differences which then subsisted between the American Colonies and the Govern- ment of Great Britain, would undoubtedly pre- vent his majesty from granting a Charter of Gov- ernment to the Susquehanna Company agreeably to the recommendation and resolution of the Gen- eral Assembly in 1755 ; and as the settlements then subsisting on the Susquehanna under the Com- pany's authority, were not sufficiently strong to defend themselves against powerful enemies, they prayed that they might be taken under the protection of the Government of Connecticut, and participate in a certain degree in her political institutions un- til his majesty's further pleasure might be known. The agents having returned to Wyoming reported that the Government of Connecticut had taken into consideration the situation of the Wyoming Colo- ny, and had advised, first: to attempt a settlement with the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania of all sub- jects in dispute ; which negociation the Govern- ment of Connecticut would undertake on behalf of the Colony of Wyoming ; and should this negocia- tion fail of success, they would apply to his majes- ty for a legal settlement of the controversy with Pennsylvania, whenever present disturbances be-
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tween the Colonies and the mother country should be settled, and in the mean time the inhabitants of the Colony of Wyoming should protect and govern themselves in the manner they might think most advisable. In pursuance of these views the in- habitants of Wyoming, commonly called the " Settlers," proceeded to establish a Government for themselves. They laid out Townships, form- ed settlements, erected fortifications, levied and collected taxes, passed laws for the direction of civil suits, and for the punishment of crimes and misdemeanors, established a militia, and provided for the common defence and general welfare of the Colony. Neither the Grecian nor the Roman States in their proudest days of republicanism could boast of a Government more purely Democratic than was now established at Wyoming. The su- preme power vested (where nature has placed it in all Governments,) in the whole body of the people, and it was exercised, not by representation, but by a majority of votes in a full meeting of all the citizens who chose to attend for that purpose .- This meeting was called " The Meeting of the Proprietors," and it formed the grand Council of the Colony to which an appeal was in all cases re- served. " The Meeting of the Proprietors" chose a President for each sitting, called a " Moderator, "> and their proceedings were recorded in a book, by a clerk chosen also for one meeting only. This record formed the " Statute Book," and was kept by the clerk of the last meeting. The meeting of the Proprietaries held no stated or periodical sess
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ion, but assembled only whenever business made it necessary. The Executive power was vested in a Committee, consisting of one person from each Township in which settlements were commenced. They were called the " Committee of Settlers," and were authorized to decide upon all matters of minor importance both civil and criminal, and to call " The Meeting of the Proprietors" whenever they thought proper.
The Judicial power was placed in three Courts, all having civil and criminal jurisdiction. The highest or Supreme Court, was " The Meeting of the Proprietors," to whom an appeal lay in all ca- ses, and where the merits of each case were sub- ject to revision, and all judgments, to correction. The second, or Executive Court, was the " Com- mittee of Settlers," who corrected and entered judgments, and issued writs of execution. The common, or Ordinary Court, consisted of Three Freeholders, who were, in the first instance, to decide all controversies arising between any two or more individuals in their respective townships, and make a return of their award to the " Committee of Settlers," who issued execution to the proper Constable. A Constable for each Township was chosen at " The Meeting of the Proprietors."* Such was the system of Government established at Wyoming ; imperfect like every other system in its origin. After a trial of two years it was found necessary to make certain alterations, and to in-
*Westmoreland Records.
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troduce some new provisions which should render " The Meetings of the Proprietors" less frequent on appeals. Accordingly at a full meeting of the Proprietors and Settlers, held at Wilkesbarre on the 8th. day of July 1773, various alterations were adopted in their system, and the whole drawn into a regular form, " For the well ordering and gov- " erning the Proprietors and Settlers on the Sus- " quehanna Purchase."
The most important alteration, was the appoint- ment of a " Board of Directors," in the place of the " Committee of Settlers," and a Sheriff and other officers provided for. All the Proprietors and Settlers were required to subscribe their names to these articles of agreement which were to form their Original Compact and to be received as their Constitution of Government. Those who refused to do so were deprived of their lands, and com- pelled to remove from the country .* Several of the laws passed at this time bear the appearance of great severity, but may have been justified by the circumstances of the times. One in particular pass- ed at Wilkesbarre on the 28th day of December, 1772, which provided " That no person or per- "sons, settlers or foreigners, coming into this " place, shall at any time hereafter sell or give to "'any Indian or Indians any spirituous liquors, 46 on the forfeiture of all such liquors and the " whole of their goods and chattels, rights and ef-
*Westmoreland Records. Some instances of this occurred.
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" fects that they shall have on this purchase, and "also be voted out of this Company unless upon " some extraordinary occasion, such as sickness, " &c. without leave first had and obtained from " the Committee."
The whole body of citizens capable of bearing arms, was formed into a militia, of which a list of those in each township constituted a section, who did garrison duty in the forts, and took their tour upon guard in regular succession.
The Proprietors were the owners of the whole purchase which extended one hundred and ten miles west of the Susquehanna River, and was. about one hundred miles in width North and South. This territory, or a great portion of it, was laid off into townships, generally five miles square,. and except in the vicinity of the Susquehanna riv- er, these townships formed regular ranges, exten- ding East and West through the whole purchase ; they were surveyed into lots of different sizes, of which a certain quantity was called a right or share, and a less quantity, an half-share. They were sold under various terms and conditions, and the proceeds of the sales went into the treasury of the Company. A town was laid out immediately ad- joining the Wyoming Fort, by Col. Durkee, who gave it the united names of Wilkes and Barre, two distinguished members of the British Parliament, conspicuous for their devotion to the rights of the American Colonies.
While these peaceful measures were progressing the General Assembly of Connecticut passed res-
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olutions declaring their intention to support their claim to the lands within the limits of their Charter West of the Province of New York, and appoint- ing Commissioners to negociate a settlement of all disputes with the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, and an Act giving full powers to the Commission- ers to make a final settlement of all boundaries and claims in dispute.
The Commissioners, having received their full powers, proceeded to Philadelphia in December 1773, and having produced their credentials, pre- sented to Gov. Penn a letter from Gov. Trumbull of Connecticut, dated at Lebanon the 22d. of No- vember 1773, in which, among other things, he says:
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