Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

LETTER XII.

1772-3.—List of Settlers-First white women in Wyoming--Stockade at Mill Creek, on the Ruins of Fort Ogden-Young Hollenback-Furniture-Mode of Living-Fifty miles to Mill-Indians-First Marriage in Wyoming-Doings of Committee-Famine-John Carey-Interesting Expedition-A Wedding, and the benevolent Scotchman-Sickness— -First Mills-David Meade-Wilkesbarre-Ferries-Settlement of first Gospel Minister-Rev. Jacob Johnson-Toleration-Rev. Mr. Gray-Rev. Elkanah Holmes-Free Schools-Military organization-Prohibition of selling Liquor to Indians-Shares, and Half Share Rights-Constitution of Government, voluntarily established-Physicians— Vote of Connecticut Assembly-Renewed Negotiations.

In entering upon 1772, the fourth year of the permanent settlement by the Connecticut people upon the Susquehanna, we find the aspect of affairs essentially changed. The stern alarms of war were succeeded by the sweet songs of peace. Availing ourselves of the leisure afforded, we enter on a variety of civil and social details necessary to a perfect knowledge of the early history of Wyoming. So similar was the current of life, and so interwoven the events, that in this letter, we purpose to include a view of the two years, 1772 and "73, this period of time intervening between the close of the war with the Proprietaries, and the official recognition of the settlement by Connecticut, and the formal establishment of her jurisdiction west of the Delaware.

While some may turn away from a mere column of names; others, curious in such things may be pleased to see a list of the two hundred first enrolled as actual settlers to "man their rights" in the five allotted townships. The roll bears date June 2d, 1769. Especially will many of the grand children, or those of the fourth generation, look anxiously for the names of their progenitors. A few, after the first sharp collision, did not return, and their places were supplied by others. Several fell in the unhappy conflict, more in the revolutionary war; but we recognise in the list, a considerable number,

whom time and war had spared, as the kindliest friends of our early manhood.

A more brave, hardy, and enterprising set of men never encountered danger in the field; or gave their stalwart arms to the settlement of a wilderness. Though perhaps an hundred others were concerned, from time to time, in the warlike scenes we have detailed, those, here recounted, it is believed, bore the chief brunt of the contest. At no time, until 1772, were there more than one hundred and thirty men on the ground at once, some being on the way out, and others returning home. As there was no mode of enforcing discipline, the association being voluntary, each man acted as prompted by his own sense of interest and propriety.

*

Those names having a star [ ] affixed to them, were of the Forty, or first settlers in Kingston.

[blocks in formation]

Hezekiah Knap,

John Kenyon,

Preserved Taylor,

Isaac Bennett,

Uriah Marvin,

Abisha Bingham, Moses Hebbard, Jr.

Jabez Fish,

Peris Briggs,

Aaron Walter,

James May,
Samuel Badger,
Jabez Cooke,
Samuel Dorrance,
John Comstock,*
Samuel Hotchkiss,

Wm. Leonard,
Jesse Leonard,

Elisha Avery,
Ezra Buel,

Gershom Hewit,
Nathaniel Goss,
Benjamin Hewit,
Benj. Hewit, Jr.,
Elias Thomas,
Abijah Mock,

John Jollee,

Ebenezer Norton,
Enos Yale,

John Wiley,
Timothy Vorce,
Cyrus Kenne,
John Shaw,
James Forsythe,
Peter Harris,*
Abel Smith,

Elias Parks,

Joshua Maxfield,
John Murphy,
Thomas Bennet,*
Christopher Avery,
Elisha Babcock,

John Perkins,
Joseph Slocum,
Robert Hopkins,

Benjamin Shoemaker, Jr.,

Jabez Sill,

Parshall Terry,
John Delong,

Theophilus Westover,*

John Sterling,

Joseph Morse,

Ephraim Fellows,

Stephen Fuller,

[blocks in formation]

James Nesbitt,

Joseph Webster,
Samuel Millington,

Benjamin Budd,

John Lee,

Josiah Dean,
Zophur Teed,
Moses Hebbard,
Dan Murdock,
Noah Lee,
Stephen Lee,
Daniel Haynes,
Lemuel Smith,
Silas Park,

Stephen Hungerford,
Zerobable Jeorum,*
Comfort Goss,

Wm. Draper, Thomas McClure, Peter Ayers. Solomon Johnson, Phineas Stevens, Abraham Colt, Elijah Buck,* Noah Read, Nathan Beach, Job Green, Jr., Fred. Wise, Stephen Jenkins, Daniel Marvin, Zachariah Squier, Henry Wall,

Simeon Draper,*

John Wallsworth,

Ebenezer Stone,

Thomas Olcott, Stephen Hinsdale, Benjamin Dorchester, Elijah Witter, Oliver Post, Daniel Cass, Isaac Tracy, Samuel Story, John Mitchel, Samuel Orton, Christopher Gardner, Duty Gerold, Peris Bradford, Samuel Morgan. John Clark, Elijah Lewis, Timothy Hopkins, Edward Johnson, Jacob Dingman, Capt. Prince Alden, Benedict Satterlee,* Naniad Coleman, Peter Comstock, John Franklin, Benjamin Matthews, Jno. Durkee,

Wm. Gallop,

Stephen Hurlbut,
Stephen Miles.

Very few of the settlers had yet brought out their families; and in May, 1772, there were only five white women in Wilkesbarre :Mrs. McClure, wife of James McClure; Mrs. Bennett, grandmother of Rufus Bennett, (who was in the Indian battle); Mrs. Sill, wife of Jabez Sill; another Mrs. Bennett, wife of Thomas Bennett, mother of Mrs. Myers, now living in Kingston, (to whose clear mind and retentive memory, we are indebted for most valuable information ;) and Mrs. Hickman, with her husband; Mrs. Dr. Sprague, and her

daughter, afterwards Mrs. Young. The second white child born in Wilkesbarre was a daughter of Mrs. McClure.

With increasing numbers, and prudent apprehensions of danger, more extensive stockades were thought necessary for protection, and the admirable position at Mill Creek, the ruins of Fort Ogden, was resumed, placed in the best condition, and made head-quarters of the chief men on the east side of the river.

Let us look in upon them. Huts were built all around the inside, against the wall, of upright timbers. They were one story high; several were divided into a number of small, but neat and comfortable rooms. The huts of Capt. Butler and Nathan Denison, adjoined each other. Next in the row was the store of Matthias Hollenback. He had brought up from Lancaster county a variety of indispensable articles. Denison and Hollenback, then young men, the latter twenty, the former twenty-three! Having seen, near forty years afterwards, their venerable forms wrapped in their cloaks, one on the right and the other on the left, as Associate Judges of Pennsylvania, his Hon. Judge Rush, presiding, we could not repress an allusion to the contrast.-The next in order, the largest building in the stockade, was a boarding house kept by Dr. Joseph Sprague. Neither a chair nor table, nor bedstead, except the rude construction of an auger and axe, was yet in the settlement. A samp mortar, that is a large stump, hollowed eight or ten inches by burning, the pestle worked by a spring pole, pounded corn, wheat, and rye, for bread; and this was their only mill. "Venison and shad," said the good Mrs. Young, "were plenty; but salt was a treasure.”—Dr. Sprague would load his horse with wheat, and go out by the bridle path, for as yet there was no road, to the Delaware at Coshutunk, have his grist ground, get a few spices, and a runlet of Antigua rum. The cakes baked from the flour, and the liquor, were kept as dainties for some special occasion, or when emigrants of note came in from Connecticut.

The venerable and esteemed John Carey, who has given his name to Carey town is the only survivor of this interesting collection of early settlers. [He died, 1844.]

After the massacre of 1763, the Indians generally left the valley, but a number had returned, not as a tribe, but the scattered remnants of tribes, chiefly of those who had been partially christianized by the Moravians; though from subsequent events it is not doubted that spies of the Six Nations were kept among them, and reported from time to time the condition of the settlement, to the Council at

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »