PAGE TWO
THE POST, THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1941
Scouting Parties Look
For Indians
From the History of 109th Field Artillery
Year 1778 Brings
Fear And Distrust
Battle of Wyoming
“Every Captain that led a
company into action was slain,
and in every instance fell on
or near the line.” Miner's His-
tory of Wyoming.
The year 1778 brought great dis-
trust and fear to the frontiers gen-
erally, but particularly to Wyoming.
It was believed that Major, Butler’s
Rangers and Indian allies would at-
tack the Wyoming settlements. They
were, in every sense of the word
frontier settlements; they could be
easily and quickly reached from
New York State by way of the Sus-
quehanna River; they were exposed
and unprotected, neither Pennsyl-
vania nor Connecticut could come
to their aid, and the Congress had
not yet taken them under its wing.
If the Wyoming people should be
driven from their possessions, the
only important barrier between the
enemy in Western New York and the
Pennsylvania settlements below the
Blue Mountains would thus be re-
moved, and all those settlements,
from the Delaware Water Gap to
Sunbury, would be exposed to
slaughter, havoc and fire. It was
also well known that from the rich
and fertile fields of Wyoming boun-
tiful crops had been harvested each
year during the progress of the War
for Independence, and that in con-
sequence Wyoming was able to fur-
nish supplies of provisions as well
as of men to keep up the contest
for freedom.
These conditions aroused in the
minds of those who were planning
and managing the campaign and
forays of the enemy in Western
and Central New York the firm be-
lief that the Wyoming settlements
ought to be exterminated. This be-
lief was stimulated and strengthen-
ed by the violence of resentment,
hatred and vindictiveness which the
rough usage they had met with had
aroused in the breasts of the Tories
who had fled, or been driven, from
the Susquehanna, and which they
did not hesitate to manifest.
To Major John Butler at Niagara,
especially, the destruction of the
Wyoming settlement seemed
to be positively necessary. By using
the Susquehanna River his move-
ments would be facilitated and he
hoped to effect a junction with a
British force in Philadelphia by way
of Middletown.
In February of 1778 a party of
forty Indians led by Parshall Terry,
Jr., deserted from our regiment, and
another Tory, who were now mem-
bers of Butler's Rangers, arrived in
the vicinity of Wyalusing where sev-
eral white families were then living.
The British force plundered a family
of most of their bedding, wearing
apparel, meat, grain, animals and |
cattle. :
Early in March Colonel Denison |
sent a party of 150 men of our reg-
iment to Wyalusing; this party tore
down the church and some log hous-
es there which had formerly been
occupied by the Indians and made a
raft of the timbers on which, and in
canoes, the despoiled, fleeing fami-
lies were placed and floated in safe-
ty down the river to Wyoming Val-
ley.
The reiterated rumours of prepa-
NT
YOUR DIMES AND NICKELS
WILL PROVIDE HOT COFFEE
FOR 109th ARTILLERYMEN
Word came yesterday that
109th Field Artillery will leave
Wyoming Valley on February
28th for one year. Many among
us suspect it will be longer. To
make life more comfortable for
the men of the regiment, pub-
lic spirited citizens have con-
tributed $1050 toward coffee
urns for each battery. These
urns will provide hot coffee for
the men at any time as they re-
turn from outposts or from ac-
tion without waiting for the
regular mess. . They will do
much to keep up spirit and
make life comfortable. $165 is
still needed. Dallas is asked to
contribute $10 of this amount.
Pennies, nickels, dimes or
larger amounts will be appreci-
ated. Won’t you send your
mite to The Dallas Post today ?
=
peacable inhabitants of these
United States; and for the de-
fence of this and the rest of the
United States the memoralist has,
in the years 1776 and 1777, and
also in the month of January
last, been obliged to send forth
detachments from said regiment
in scouting parties; and when
there was danger of being at-
tacked by the savages and Tories
has called forth a part of said
regiment to keep proper guards.
And, as no man goeth to war at
his own expence, the memoralist
humbly prays your Honours to
grant the common and usual
wages and expences of said offi-
cers and men so called into ser-
vice,” ete.
The Assembly immediately grant-
ed this request.
At this same session of the As-
sembly, Representative Anderson
Dana obtained a bounty to be paid
to each soldier enlisting in Cap-
tain Hewitt’'s company. Due to the
depreciated currency and from past
experience, it had been found that a
bounty was customary and neces-
sary. : |
On the 6th of June more fugitives
from the vicinity of Tunkhannock
(had arrived telling of depredations
in that vicinity. On the next day,
although it was Sunday, the inhab- |
itants of the Valley set to work to |
strengthen their. various fortifica-
tions. On June I7th éne of Captain |
Hewitt’'s men scouting with others |
in the vicinity of LaGrange, six miles
south of Tunkhannock, was wound- |
ed and died next day. The forego- |
ing incidents increased the anxiety |
already distractingly painful. But |
jan event soon occurred of more ex- |
citing importance. Two Indians who |
had formerly lived in Wyoming and |
were acquainted with the inhabi- |
tants, came down the river with!
| their squaws on a visit, professing
warm friendship; but there was a |
suspicion that they were spies, and |
directions were given that they
should be carefully watched. An old
[companion of one of them, with |
‘more than Indian cunning, profess- |
ing his attachment to the natives, |
gave his visitor drink after drink of
rum, when the latter, in his maudlin '
i condition, avowed that the Indians
were preparing to cut off the Wyo- |
ming settlements—the attack to be!
rations on the part of the British! made soon; and that he and his
and their Indian allies to attack the | companions had come down to see,
Wyoming settlements prompted Con- | and report how things were. There-
gress to authorize a third Independ- |upon the two Indians were seized
ent company for their immediate and placed in confinement, while
defence for one year and provided the squaws were sent away.
that it should function under Col- Our former Colonel, Zebulon But- |
onel Denison. Dethick Hewitt, com- | ler, had arrived in Wilkes-Barre on
manding our 2d company, was com- | leave of absence about the first of
missioned to organize the new com- | June. Learning of the threatened:
pany. Within six weeks he had en-| invasion, he at once obtained a horse
listed about forty men but as the and rode to York, where the Conti-
company was decimated at the bat- | nental Congress was then in session,
tle of Wyoming there is no known | for the purpose of requesting that |
able points, and keeping the en-
emy well advised of the situa-
tion.”
The report to return Captain
Spalding’s company to the Valley
was heeded and they departed from
Lancaster on the 26th of June
marching through -the counties of
Lancaster and Berks to Reading,
thence to Bethlehem, to Nazareth,
to the Wind Gap, and thence over
the “Lower Road” (leading from the
Delaware River), to Wilkes-Barre.
The distance from Lancaster to Wind
Gap is, in a bee-line, about eighty
miles; but, by the roads over which
it was necessary for Captain Spald-
ing’s company to march, the dis-
tance was considerably greater. By
the lower road, which was not much
more than a bridle path at that
time, the distance from the Wind
Gap to Wilkes-Barre was about
forty-five miles.
Scouts ‘from ‘our regiment were
sent up the river but they did not
get beyond Wyalusing. Failing to
reach Tioga Point, they did not ob-
tain the precise intelligence that
Major John Butler had established
his Rangers and Indians there early
in June and was then accumulating
boats, canoes and provisions for his
attack on Wyoming. The British set
forth from Tioga Point on Saturday,
June 27th with a force consisting of
250 Rangers, 350 Seneca Indians
and 100 Indians of other tribes. On
June 30th they left their boats at
the mouth of Bowman’s Creek, 18:
miles north of Wilkes-Barre and
proceeded onward by canoes and
by marching. This day some of the
Indians attacked and massacred the
Hardings and others in Upper Ex-
eter; these outrages were known in
the Valley the same night.
On July 1st our regiment was as-
sembled and a scouting party moved
as far as Exeter recovering the bod-
ies of the Hardings but obtaining no
Bible Class To Have
White Elephant Sale
A White Elephant sale to be held
January 28 at the home of Miss Ver-
na Lamoreaux was planned at a
meeting of the Adult Bible Class of
the Glenview P. M. Church held
at the home of Mrs. Earl Layou of
Fernbrook on Tuesday evening. Mrs.
Anna Neyhard, Mrs. Mary Heath-
cock, Miss Verna Lamoreaux, Miss
Charlotte Mintzer, Mrs. George
Cobleigh, Mrs. Corey Crispell, Mrs.
Edward Sowers, Mrs. Lewis Stritz-
inger and Mr. John Lewe attended.
new information. Fort Wintermute,
located in the lower part of Exeter,
commanded by Lt. Elisha Scovell,
7th Company, our regiment, was
surrendered this day due to treach- |
ery of the Wintermute family. Jen- |
kins Fort also capitulated early next
morning.
On July 2d our regiment was sta-
tioned as follows:
Regimental headquarters at Forty
Fort.
1st (Lower Wilkes-Barre) Com-
pany at Fort Wilkes-Barre.
2nd (Kingston) Company at Forty
Fort.
3rd (Plymouth) Company at Forty
Fort. :
4th (Pittston) Company at Pitts-!
ton Fort.
5th (Hanover) Company at Fort
Wilkes-Barre.
6th (Upper Wilkes-Barre) Com-
pany at Fort Wilkes-Barre.
7th (Exeter) Company had been
in Fort Wintermute and Jenkins
Fort and were either casualties or
prisoners.
8th (Lackaway)
Lackaway settlement.
9th (Up the River) Company was
practically disorganized, owing to its
proximity to the enemy.
10th (Shickshinny, Berwick, Sa-
lem) Company, received orders at
9:00 p. m. to march to Forty Fort.
Captain Spalding’s Independent
Company en route from Lancaster.
Captain Hewitt’s partly organized
Independent Company at Forty Fort.
Company at
AU
ASSETS
Total rs $169,168.83
LIABILITIES
Pata) $132,400.00
ORDERS DRAWN ON GENERAL
FUND
By JOHN SALATA, Boro. Treasurer
Total Vouchers Drawn _$ 22,718.34
Outstanding Vouchers .... 1,994.73
Orders Cashed During
Fiscal Year TC $ 20,723.61
ORDERS DRAWN ON LIGHT FUND
By JOHN SALATA, Treasurer
Total ~-.$ 3,907.33
ORDERS DRAWN ON SINKING
: FUND
By JOHN SALATA, Treasurer
Total $ 15,943.90
ORDERS DRAWN ON SEWER
ASSESSMENT FUND
By JOHN SALATA, Treasurer
Total .. ~ $ 4,289.98
SINKING FUND No. 2
Total --$ 5,800.00
STATEMENT OF FRANK L. PINOLA
SOLICITOR’S ACCOUNT
Liens Collected:
Total 2 $ 1,051.80
Payments Credited to Frank L.
Pinola, Attorney, by Treasurer:
Total . $1,051.80
STATEMENT OF
ANTHONY W. WALLACE
SOLICITOR’S ACCOUNT
Liens Collected:
Total
Ba $ 1,021.40
TOR’
‘Statement showing the Financial Condition of the
Borough of Swoyerville—January {, 1939
to December 31, 1939
SREPORT
Payments credited to Anthony W.
Wallace, Attorney, by Treasurer:
Total Lia $ 1,021.40
REPORT OF
DR. JOHN J. BROMINSKI, Burgess
Jan. 1, 1939 to Dec. 31, 1939
Dance and Sewer Permits Issued
and Fines Collected
Total Collected ................. $ 99.50
Recapitulation
Received from Fines,
Peddling and Sewer
Dance, Excavating,
Permits sii bdo $ 99.50
Balance Due from [
Burgess, Dec. 31, 1938 $ 27.00
Total 5 2...8..7126.50
Payments To Treasurer
Total $ 126.50
COMMISSION DUE JOHN SALATA
Borough Treasurer
Total ; $ 1,573.70
Commissions Paid Treasurer |
Total $ 1,573.70!
TAX LEVY FOR THE YEAR 1939 |
Mills set for General Fund 10 Mills!
Mills set for Light and |
Water Fund . 2 Mills |
Mills set for Sinking Fund ... 6 Mills |
Total 18 Mills
Respectfully submitted,
ANDREW J. KOVALICK,
JOSEPH F. HOVANEC,
JOSEPH MEDVEC, I
Auditors.
ACCOUNT OF STEPHEN A.
1938 DUPLICATE
FARRIS, TAX COLLECTOR
list of its members. the two Independent companies be | Debit General Fd. Sinking Fd. L.& W. Fd.
On June 2d Lieutenant John Jen- | sent to Wyoming for its protection. | Amount due as per last audit $15,162.93 $9,097.76 $3,032.59 |
kins, Jr., had arrived at the home | Our two companies had been de- | Credit General 7d, Sinking Fd, L.&W. Fd |
of his father, having a short time tached from the army at Valley .
before escaped from the custody of Forge and at this time they were [Tout EE TT $15,162.93 $9,097.76 $3,032.59
his Indian guards, following his cap- | guarding enemy prisoners-of-war at |
ture in the preceding November. He Lancaster. Their numbers had i] 1939 DUPLICATE
brought information that a large considerably reduced by death, de- Debit General Fd. Sinking Fd. Light Fd.
number of the Tories from up the sertion and discharges and were Amount of Duplicate ......... $23.82061 $14.20777 $4.765.93
Susquehanna had wintered at Fort soon to be still further decreased. : ale ‘
Niagara with the British and In- Upon learning from Colonel Butler ; Creift a. pune Lg a
dians; that they had been insolent of the serious dangers threatening *OVA% rrr 4,82 dl. 765.53 |
and abusive to the prisoners from their homes, Captain Durkee and
Killed Colored Fox
Olin Miner, of Eaton Township
shot a red fox on New Year's Day
over in Sugar Hollow. He was sur-
prised to find a leathér collar tightly
buckled about the animal’s neck, it
apparently having been placed there
when it was a pup, perhaps in cap-
tivity. Mr. Miner would like to know
how long ago the collar was put on
the fox, and by whom.—Tunkhan-
nock Republican.
GREAT OIL RUSH
During the height of the oil rush
in northwestern Pennsylvania, be-
tween 1860 and 1870, there were
17,000,000 barrels of oil shipped
from Oil City to Pittsburgh.
A GOOD TIME TO
START SAVING.
THRIFT WEEK
Be thrift
AOME. Youll find BARGAINS GALORE every day in the week and every week of the year. More and
more thrifty homekeepers are turning to Acme every day. = .
OPEN LATE Friday and Saturday!
ness and fine flavor of this corn-
fed quality Steer Beef. Every
pound guaranteed to give com-
plete satisfaction.
All cuts—ROUND, SIRLOIN or PORTERHOUSE.
CHUCK ROAST cv'&e » 21c
RIB RO AS Best Cuts Standing 1p 23 Cc
NONE HIGHER!
ROLLED RIB ROAST 2Q9c
ROUND BONE BEEF ROAST ™ 25c
HAMBURG n17c
Smoked Fresh Cc
Sausage 19¢ Sausage 19
Fancy quality, very tasty. Acme breakfast style.
Acme Phila. Style Meaty Scrapple ™ 10c
Boneless Fish Fillets »11c
Sea Trout or Mackerel » 10c
Fresh Shrimp » 19¢
Skinless Cod Fillets wm 17c
ERS Wn 29¢
Fancy
Stewing
Standard Quality Meaty Tomatoes i.’3c
Acme Whole Kernel Golden Corn 2.°10c
Orchard Farm Carrot Chips No i8¢c
Dole Pineapple Juice : $I. 2 25¢
JUNKET Fudge Mix Pk 15¢
N. B. C. Honey Grahams o> 18¢c
N. B. C. Premium Sodas 2. 15c
RICE rorcvBlucroe . = 5C
BREAD <.i7ii 2: 15c
Fancy Woodside Roll or Fine Tub Oarr’s Salty or Soda
BUTTER Crackers
2 "67c 2: 13¢
Derrydale Pure Creamery BUTTER 2 ™s 69c¢
Loueila "Sweet Cream” BUTTER 2 ®s73¢
“DATED”
large
loaves
and at the same time enjoy the high quality that you like—Shop regularly in your nearby
Westmoreland detained there, and
had threatened to return in the
spring to their deserted homes on
the Susquehanna, ‘to bring the In-
dians with them, drive the settlers
off, and take possession of the coun-
try themselves; that a plan of this
sort had been concocted at Niagara
before he (Jenkins) left there for
Montreal, early in April. This was
the first reliable information the
people. of Wyoming had received
relative to the threatened invasion
of their settlements; although it had
been known much earlier that an
attack upon the frontiers, some-
where, was to be made by the forces
collected at Niagara. That Butler
and his forces had already arrived
on the borders of Westmoreland
was not yet known to the inhabi- |
tants of the Valley.
On June 3rd Colonel Denison pre-
sented a memorial to the Connect-
icut Assembly of which the following
is an extract:
“That Westmoreland is a. fron-
tier town adjoining the wilder-
ness and a country of savages |
which have been hired by our |
merciless enemies to murder the
Ransom resigned and started for
home at once. Twenty-five enlisted
men deserted and returned to the
Valley in time to take part in the
battle of Wyoming, some were killed |
in the battle and others took part!
in it and then returned to the Con-
tinental service. The numbers of
those remaining were so reduced
that the two companies were com-
bined as one and Lieutenant Simon
Spalding was made captain. Disci-
pline—and discpline only—could
hold men in the service when the
call to duty was so divided. It is
surprising that not more of them
deserted.
We quote the words of Honorable
Stanley Woodward made some years
ago:
“No more touching and heroic
poem was ever written in the dry
formula of human history than
the appeal made by Wyoming
people to their Government, to
send home their husbands and
sons to protect them from savage
massacre, and the malevolence of
the Tory miscreants who loitered
along the edges of the settlement, |
= out its weak and vulner-'!
| ACCOUNT OF JOHN SALATA, TREASURER OF SWOYERVILLE BORO. |
January 1, 1939 to December 31, 1939
Silver Sea:
Carefully
Graded
dozen 2 be C
aw: 29¢
Every egg guaranteed to give complete satisfaction!
Mid- Winter Bean Sale for “Tops” in Food Value
Choice Hand Pickes Soup Beans 2 ™ 9c
Fancy Marrowtat Beans ® 7c
Large Calif. Lima Beans 2 7 15¢
B & M Oven-Baked Beans Sze 8c
A. Geans “hub bork nnd eon Bc 3 3 ree 25¢
Rob=Ford Kidnev Beans 3.225
Del Monte Fi
B each &
C lo rox Disinfectant
bot
pint
10
OCTAGON PRODUCTS | PALMOLIVE
C e quart
e bot
3-1
19¢
7¢ < 5
Receipts
Bal. On hand,
12-31-38
Received from County Treasurer
Totals
Borough
Wotal oo.) oii i $ 96.00
Received from Stephen A. Farris, Tax
Total
Received from Frank L. Pinola
L.&W.
3 $ 337.40 $1,111.84 $ 2,405.23 $2,411.39 $2,357.30
a $ 1,507.84 $ 301.56 $
Received from Dr, J. Brominski, Burgess
$15,197.25 $3,039.41 $ 9,118.31
Sink Fd. Sink Fd 2 Sewer As.
904.71 $6,497.80
Collector
Mosal «0 ona $1,051.80
Received from A. Wallace
Potal il... iin $ 22.72 $1,121.40
Other Receipts
Total "oi... tl $ 7,310.00 $ 425237 $$ 30.74 $ 196.39
Totals... .g..l $24,471.21 $4,452.81 $16,680.62 $8,939.93 $4,726.89
Disbursements
Vouchers paid
Outstanding vouchers 1,994.73
Correction of error 196.39
Balance 12-31-39 ...___. 1,556.48
Libr $20,723.61 $3,907.33 $15,943.90 $5,800.00 $4,289.98
545.48
736.72 3,139.93 436.91
A $24,471.21 $4,452.81 $16,680.62 $8,939.93 $4,726.89
Laundry Soap 3 5: 10¢ ath —
Toilet Soap 3 bars 13¢ TOILET SOAP|(3 ‘5, 25¢ GRIND
Soap Flakes ois 19¢| KLEK 2 272° 33¢c 2 22% 15¢
Cleanser 3" lsc er
Soap Powder 2 “gc | Concentrated | 2 ;ii33c
soap Powder 2 = 29c|SUPER SUDS | 2 = I5c
Selected ‘‘Garden-Fresh’’ Fruits and Vegetables!
TANGERINES 9
CAU Li FLOWER Snow White rae 13c
Fancy Eating or Cooking APPLES 4 ™ [9c
Best No. | Coo«ing ONIONS 4 ™ joc
Tender Cr sp Washed CARROTS 3 ™ lOc
Sweet Ju.cy Florida ORANGES 25 ** 25¢
POTATOES 15:19°
Sweet Juicy
bs
full
peck
Sauer Kraut "2%
h zx: 256
Prices Effective January 16, 17 and 18, in Your Nearby Acme Super Market