portant affairs, the Connecticut people had been left undisturbed to extend and establish their possessions. The battle at Lexington had taken place April 19th. On the 17th of June, the battle of Bunker's Hill was fought, so glorious to the American arms. The effect produced at Wyoming, by those soul-stirring events, will be best expressed by the simple record of a "town meeting legally warned." "At a meeting of ye Proprietors and settlers of ye town of Westmoreland, legally warned and held in Westmoreland, August 1st, 1775, Mr. John Jenkins was chosen Moderator for ye work of ye day. Voted that this town does now vote that they will strictly observe and follow ye rules and regulations of ye Honorable Continental Congress, now sitting at Philadelphia. "Resolved by this town, that they are willing to make any accommodations with ye Pennsylvania party that shall conduce to ye best good of ye whole, not infringing on the property of any person, and come in common cause of Liberty in ye defence of America, and that we will amicably give them ye offer of joining in ye proposals as soon as may be. "Voted-This meeting is adjourned until Tuesday ye 8th day of this instant, August, at one of the clock in ye afternoon at this place." "This meeting is opened and held by an adjournment August the 8th, 1775. "Voted as this town has but of late been incorporated and invested with the privileges of the law, both civil and military, and now in a capacity of acting in conjunction with our neighboring towns within this and the other colonies, in opposing ye late measures adopted by Parliament to enslave America. Also this town having taken into consideration the late plan adopted by Parliament of enforcing their several oppressive and unconstitutional acts, of depriving us of our property, and of binding us in all cases without exception, whether we consent or not, is considered by us highly injurious to American or English freedom; therefore do consent to and acquiesce in the late proceedings and advice of the Continental Congress, and do rejoice that those measures are adopted, and so universally received throughout the Continent; and in conformity to the eleventh article of the association, we do now appoint a Committee to attentively observe the conduct of all persons within this town, touching the rules and regulations prescribed by the Honorable Continental Congress, AND WILL UNANIMOUSLY JOIN OUR BRETHREN IN AMERICA IN THE COMMON CAUSE OF DEFENDING OUR LIBERTY. "Voted-That Mr. John Jenkins, Joseph Sluman, Esq., Nathan Denison, Esq., Mr. Obadiah Gore, Jr., and Lieut. William Buck, be chosen a Committee of Correspondence for the town of Westmoreland," etc. While all the votes of that meeting, breathe a spirit of patriotism, the notice of the reader cannot fail to be attracted to the second Resolve, offering the olive-branch to the Pennsylvania party, and proposing a truce of their private and local quarrels that all hearts and all hands might be united in the general defence of liberty. Politic, as it was apparently patriotic and fair, both parties well knew, that time gained was greatly important to consolidate the strength of the settlement. In no part of the thirteen colonies, neither in Massachusetts nor Connecticut, was there more lively zeal, or more perfect unanimity, in behalf of Independence, than among the settlers under the Connecticut Claim upon the Susquehanna and Delaware purchases. Among those who had taken the Freeman's Oath, previous to the above resolutions, there proved to be but one solitary tory. It was charged by the Connecticut people, that the interlopers, the transient persons, sent by the Pennsylvania landholders, to assume the mask of Connecticut settlers, were tories. To what extent this charge may have been true, we have now no means of forming an accurate opinion; but justice obliges us to say, in some instances that odious epithet was applied to such intruders, and assigned as a reason for expelling them from the settlement. In a distribution of lots, two years previous, mention was made of the settlement at Muncy, on the west branch of the Susquehanna. Two townships had been surveyed including those inviting plains, so early as 1771. One was named Charleston, the other Judea. We are not able to designate the actual settlers, but the following is a list of the Proprietors of the former, embracing names of some of the most respectable families in Connecticut. A List of the Proprietors of the Township of Charleston, in the Susquehanna Purchase, on the West Branch, June 1772. Joseph Green, Nathaniel Green, We also subjoin a List of Proprietors in Judea. "A List of the Proprietors of the Township of Judea, is as fol It will be remembered that the General Assembly of Connecticut had not included this settlement in the limits of Westmoreland, the west line of that town extending only fifteen miles beyond the North Branch, not, therefore, reaching within twenty or thirty miles of Muncy.* A comparatively small settlement, and unsupported, it offered at the same time an afflicting eye-sore to the well excited jealousy of the Proprietaries, and an inviting prize to the cupidity of those who, at some risk, should think proper to seize it. In September, 1775, Col. Plunket, under orders from the Government, detailed a strong force from the Northumberland militia, and marched to break up the settlements at Charlestown and Judea. The spirit or extent of resistance, is no where preserved, but is presumed to have been inconsiderable. One life was lost, and several persons of the Connecticut party were wounded. It has not been ascertained whether any loss was sustained by the Pennsylvania troops. After burning the buildings, and gathering together, for distribution among the victors, all the moveable property, the men taken were marched as prisoners, and confined in Sunbury jail; while the women and children were sent to Wyoming, where most of them had relations or friends. This successful expedition extinguished forever all settlements, by the Yankees, west of Westmoreland. Leaving the prisoners closely incarcerated, our attention is attracted to the proceedings of Connecticut and of Congress. Hartford, Nov. 3, 1775 -"Letters were laid before Council by the Governor, which stated that the Pennites, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna river, were about to come 500 in number, armed, to drive off the Connecticut settlers from the Wyoming country. The Council viewed it as having a most dangerous tendency, to break the union of the colonies, and esteemed it a plan, probably concerted by enemies, with that view. The Governor was desired to address Congress on the subject, and endeavour to have the matter quieted." * "I will here remark, that, in April 1769 the Susquehanna Company passed a vote to send on, in the whole, 540 settlers, 300 of which to have lands as a gratuity on the West Branch of the Susquehanna river-that several townships were soon after laid out on the West Branch for that purpose "By a subsequent act (May 1775) the western limits of the town [of Westmoreland] were extended "westward until it meets the line lately settled with the Indians at Fort Stanwix, called the Stanwix line." [The West Branch settlements, were therefore, included.] "In May, 1775, one John Vincent, then residing on the West Branch, was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Litchfield county. The said Vincent, with several others, came to Wyoming in August, and requested a number of people to go on to the West Branch and make settlements, and extend the jurisdiction and authority of Connecticut to that country: whereupon, Maj. William Judd, and Joseph Sluman, Esq., and about 80 others, went on to the said West Branch in a peaceable manner in the month of September, and on the 20th of that month, immediately on their arrival there, were attacked and fired upon by about 500 Northumberland militia; one man killed, and several wounded-the party all taken prisoners," etc. "Messrs. Judd and Sluman sent to Philadelphia Goal-three remained in Sunbury, and the others dismissed." FRANKLIN." Col. Franklin subsequently states, that Messrs. Judd and Sluman (distinguished men among the Yankees, as will appear in the sequel) were detained several months in prison. On Saturday, the 4th of November, having been apprized of the destruction of Charleston and Judea, Congress came to the following resolution: "The Congress, considering that the most perfect union between all the colonies, is essentially necessary for the just rights of North America, and being apprehensive that there is great danger of hostilities being commenced at, or near Wyoming, between the inhabitants of the Colony of Pennsylvania, and those of Connecticut," Resolved-" That the Assemblies of said colonies be requested to take the most speedy and effectual steps to prevent such hostilities." "Ordered-That Mr. M'Kean, and Mr. Deane, wait upon the Honourable House of Assembly of Pennsylvania, now sitting, with a copy of the above resolutions." "Ordered-That a copy of the said resolutions be transmitted by express, to the Magistrates and People of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, on the waters of the Susquehanna." Unfortunately, the influence of the Continental Congress was not sufficiently powerful to quell the storm. On the 7th of the month, in reply to the resolutions quoted, an evasive verbal answer was made by the Pennsylvania Assembly, through Mr. Dickinson: “Desiring to know on what evidence the Congress grounded the apprehension therein expressed of hostilities commencing at, or near Wyoming, between the inhabitants of the Colony of Pennsylvania, and those of Connecticut." The complete, perhaps easy conquest, and desolation of the Muncy settlement, instead of satisfying, only rendered more eager the Pennsylvania landholders, to strike a decisive blow against Wyoming. Col. Plunket had returned, his brow wreathed with victory, and a long line of Yankee prisoners graced his triumphal entry into Sunbury; while some of his followers, enriched by so much plunder, obtained with scarce a contest, were desirous of trying their fortunes in a new enterprise on a more extended scale, offering to their successful arms an hundred fold more valuable reward. More elated perhaps, than wisdom would have justified; proud and flattered for what he had already achieved, Col. Plunket was told by others, and seems not to have doubted himself, that he was the man for |