PAGE S81X
THE DALLAS POST FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1938
EXCERPTS FROM
THE HISTORY
OF LUZERNE COUNTY
By H. C. BRADSBY
(Readers will enjoy Mr. Bradsby’s quaint,
paranthetical remarks more if they keep in
mind that he was writing this history of |
Luzerne County forty-five years ago, and
refers to conditions as he knew them, not |
as they are in 1938.) —EDITOR
(Continued From Last Week)
THE BATTLE OF WyoMinG (Continued)
The repulse of Col. Plunkett closed the year!
1775, and from that source no further invasion was
expected that season. Alarms, however, from the
Indians at the north were serious.
Through the action of the leading men of the
town the Indians were induced to come to Wilkes- |
Barre in September, 1776, to hold a council, in|
which the Indian. Capt. John represented the sav-
ages and Col. Butler the colony.
Capt. John made quite a speech, which, if cor
rectly interpreted. was filled with the affectionate
term, “brother”, in nearly every sentence, and
friendship was effusively expressed. The Indians
wanted peace and brotherhood with the settlers:
asked that they have a “fire-place” here and a
great council, and “wampus’’ and “‘calumets” ga-
lore. The white man very promptly suspected
these over-friendly professions; and, as time proved,
it was merely savage cunning to get their warriors
among the people and when disarmed, murder
them at will. This all increased the fears and dread
of the people.
October following, three chiefs from the Six Na-
tions at Onondaga arrived and brought a “talk”
from the “great head”. This was more of their
hypocritical pretensions of brotherly love and an-
other plea for'a great “fire-place” at Wyoming.
They complained that in a cow trade with a white |
man a certain Indian had been cheated, and de-
manded restitution, and also wanted flour given to
them to take home to their hungry people.
Col. Butler promptly sent word to Roger Sher-
man of the dangers threatening, and asked for arms
to place in the hands of the people for defense!
against invasion. !
ALLIANCE AGAINST LIBERTY
Soon reports arrived giving information that the
British under Col. John Butler (his command being
mostly Canadians and Indians) were at Oswego,
and now the people were convinced the savages
were in alliance with the British and were joining
Burgoyne.
The town of Westmoreland extended north to
the State line following up the Susquehanna river, |
and in the neighborhood of Tioga Point (Athens)
were the strong Indian settlements of Newtown,
Oquaga, Sheshequin, Chenango, Owego, and Choc-
onut. From these points they could quickly float
in their canoes to Wilkes-Barre.
Chapman, in his history, estimates in round num-
bers there were 5,000 settlers in Westmoreland at
this time. Hon. Charles Miner corrects this state-
ment and from the records shows that the approxi-
mate number was 430 able-bodied men, or a total
of 2,580 population.
The patriotic vigilance of the settlers is given in
the proceedings of a town meeting of Westmore-
land, March 10, 1776:
“Voted, That the first man that shall make fifty-
'weight of good salt-petre in this town shall be en-
titled to a bounty of 10 pounds sterling, lawful
money, to be paid out of the town treasury.
“Voted, That the selectmen be directed to dispose
of the grain now in the hands of the treasurer o:
collector, in such way as to obtain powder and lead
to the value of 40 pounds sterling, lawful money,
if they can do the same.”
The Continental Congress having recommended
the appointment of committees of vigilance in every
town, and the arrest of persons hostile to the cause
of liberty, a committee of inspection was established,
a measure that became the more pressingly neces
sary, as, with the breaking out of war, and the pro-
hibition of the part of Connecticut of any further
emigration to Wyoming, there had come in’ strange
families of interlopers from Minnisink,, from West-
chester. N. Y., from Kinderhook, and the Mohawk,
neither connected with Pennsylvania nor Connecti- |
cut, between whom and the old settlers there was |
neither sympathy in feeling nor community of in- |
terests—Wintermoots, Vangorders, and Von-Al- |
stines.
A path of communication was opened by the dis
affected between New York and Niagara, to strike
the Susquehanna some twenty miles above Wilkes-
Barre. Some of these new and unwelcome settlers
soon made their sentiments known, and disclosed
their hostility to the American cause, while others
for the time remained quiet, though subsequent
events showed the purpose of their emigration to
the Susquehanna.
John Jenkins, Sr., and Capt. Solomon Strong |
were chosen members of the Legislature to attend
at Hartford, with instructions to request the As-
sembly to demand of Pennsylvania 4,000 pounds
sterling for losses sustained by invasions and prop-
erty destroyed. The people took steps to build forts.
The General Assembly of Connecticut had to
raise and organize the Twenty-fourth regiment of
Connecticut militia at Westmoreland.
The Wintermoots (suspected people) had pur
chased land and had erected a fort near the head
of the valley (Pittston). To counteract this the
settlers built a fort above this near the Jennings and
Harding families. Forty Fort was strengthened
and sites for forts at Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Han-
over and Plymouth were arranged.
(To Be Continued)
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