Stories of Pennsylvania or School Readings from Pennsylvania History


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William Penn.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

Stories of Pennsylvania OR

SCHOOL READINGS FROM PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY

\

JOSEPH

9?

J

EY rj '"

WALTON,

Ph.D.

Professor of History, State Normal School,

MARTIN

G.

BRUMBAUGH,

West Chester,

A.M., Ph.D.

Professor of Pedagogy, University of Pennsylvania,

and President of Juniata College

NEW YORK -.-CINCINNATI: CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY

Di Digitized I

Ml

I

by Microsoft®

Pa.

Copyright, 1897, by

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. STORIES OF PENNSYLVANIA.

w.

Digitized

p. 3

by Microsoft®

;

PREFACE. PENNSYLVANIA, * is

many

in

respects

the most important of

the original colonies, has an unwritten history.

This volume

a series of sketches, taken chiefly from our unwritten history,

but typifying almost every important phase of our growth.

The

basis of all the incidents rests

upon the

best authority.

In most cases the Colonial Records, the Pennsylvania Archives,

and the collections of the Pennsylvania Historical Society have furnished the data.

Most of the sketches deal with colonial life, because the indiwhom the young have most regard, grows less prominent in the increasingly complex social and institutional life of the state. The reader will prize all the more his own rich

vidual, the hero, for

social, political, educational,

coming

and

religious

environment

after be-

familiar with the struggles of an ancestry not so highly

favored. The complex life of to-day will be more clearly comprehended from a view of the initial forces producing it. Four sincere and noble classes united to build up the common-

wealth

:



William Penn and the Quakers, bringing from England, Wales,

Germany a sturdy and pious body of citizens united by a common religion The Germans or Pennsylvania " Dutch," attracted to the province by the peace principles of the founder, and a zeal to establish Holland, and

;

homes

in

a land of

civil

and

The Moravians under Indians, and living a

religious liberty

;

Zinzendorf, carrying the Bible to the

community

life,

singularly devoted to the

welfare of the humblest and poorest of their faith 5 Digitized

by Microsoft®

The

and fearless, defying all and fearing no hostile neighbors, pushing to the frontier with farm and school and church, and training by hardship their Scotch-Irish, earnest, aggressive,

restraint

sons for heroic service in the state.

The common was

which held

tie

all

While Penn and

religion.

these diverse elements together his

German

allies

were in the

majority the peace policy of the Quakers dominated the

The

the colony.

non-combative offensive

made Pennsylvania

spirit

movements.

of

life

from conscientious motives, of the

fostering,

notably conservative in

This influence prevailed until the close of

the struggle for independence, a struggle that brought

new

forces

and created a more aggressive policy. It was this newer influence that organized the state under the Constitution and placed Pennsylvania in closer touch with her sister states. Border friction between the colonies, and especially between the frontiersmen and the Indians, made Pennsylvania rich in In T dian tales. Here wealth of sources made selection and rejection to the front

the task in presenting

The

this

phase of colonial

authors have consciously omitted

reach of the reader.

familiar, or within easy

been made

life.

much

to present the less

familiar but

of Penn

life

treated.

With such

is

is

already

by no means

important incidents in the development of our reason no

that

Special effort has

state.

For

attempted, and Franklin's career

names

familiar

as West,

is

less this

not

Muhlenberg, Logan,

Dickinson, Morris, Decatur, Girard, Meade, Hancock, Kane, Fulton, Perry, Taylor,

every teacher

The rect.

is

Reed, Buchanan, Blaine, and many others,

acquainted.

illustrations are

Many of them

almost without exception historically cor-

are for the

first

time presented to the public.

In their preparation the authors owe a debt of gratitude to Julius F. Sachse of the Pennsylvania Historical Society, whose wide ac-

quaintance with the history of our commonwealth

is

abundant

proof of their value. It is

hoped

that this

little

volume

will

arouse an intelligent and

abiding interest in the history of the grand old Keystone State.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

CONTENTS.

........

Before the Coming of Penn. The Naming of Pennsylvania Penn in Holland and Germany John Humphrey The Trial of " the Long Finne " Penn and the Quakers.

.

.

27 31

......... .......

'35

.

The Walking Purchase

39

Pennsylvania.

in

The Voyage

17

23

William Penn's Manor House

The Germans

9 13

Sally Brindley's Letter

Bartram's Garden

page

of the Sara fifaria

...... ..... .....

45

Conrad Weiser and the Indians

51

The The The

Pious Schoolmaster on the Skippack

61

Greatest Books of Colonial Pennsylvania

66

Last of the Kelpians

Peter Miller

70

Other Pioneers. The Moravians Count Zinzendorf

The Log

58

in the

Wyoming

.......

College

75 79 82

The Natives of Pennsylvania. Justice to the Indians

87

.......

Eliza Cartlidge

Standing Stone

A Dog Feast

at

.

.

Standing Stone

95

Troubles on the Border. Cressap's Capture

90 92

....'.. ....

...

Captain Jack, the Wild Hunter of the Juniata

99 103

Regina

107

.

Sawquehanna, or "the White Lily " Washington and the Half King

...

Captain Stobo

...

112

116 126

7

Digitized

by Microsoft®

8

The Half King Paxinosa

at

.

.... ....

Aughwick

.

Colonel James Smith at Fort Duquesne

How

a Cow's Tail saved Jane Maguire

Connolly's Plot

Captain Ogden and the Pennymite

War

Mary Quinn and the Great Runaway Opontopos, or " Little White Head "

Thompson

the Captive

Incidents of the Revolutionary War. Carpenters' Hall

.... ....

The Philadelphia Tea Party Rodney's Ride

The Old Liberty Bell The First Fourth of July

Celebration

Captain Percy at the Battle of the Brandywine

Washington and Lafayette's Escape General Anthony Wayne .

Wayne's Camp at Yellow Springs Light-horse Harry

....

Wayne's Letters

A Good Man

to his

Wife

suffers for his

Narrow Escape of Lieutenant Uncle John's Letter to One of the Doan Boys After the

his

.

Religion Tilly

.

Grandson

Wyoming Massacre

.

Later Incidents. Rev. Manasseh Cutler in Philadelphia Franklin entertains Mr. Cutler

Grays Ferry Inn

Tom

the Tinker

....

Charles Baptiste Ariel, or " Old French Charley

The Old Pike Founders of the Free Schools

A

,

School in the Early Days

The Underground Railroad Rachel Harris and the Underground Railroad William Parker and the Underground Railroad Lincoln's Midnight Ride through Pennsylvania

Reynolds

at

Gettysburg

...

In the Rear at Gettysburg

William Penn's Burial Place Digitized

.... by Microsoft®

STORIES OF PENNSYLVANIA. oSKo

BEFORE THE COMING OF PENN. THE NAMING OF PENNSYLVANIA.

EVERY

child

of

Her

state.

Pennsylvania loves the grand

soil,

The land was given

sacred.

Admiral Penn, by Charles William's against

father

the

To pay

sterling

name

this

land

New

is

sylvd).

The king

services

for

New

gave

Penn

World.

Wales, but the king's

Welshman, struck it out. Sylvania, because it was a great said,

sec-

Penn then suggested

retary, a

forest

who owed

debt the king

the

William a large tract of land in the decided to

Penn, son of

England,

of

pounds

16,000

Dutch.

to William

II.

old

and her name are

her history,

forest (the "

No

;

I

Latin for

shall

call

it

Pennsylvania."

William Penn sailed for

this great

land in

1682,

and

how he came to Chester, and then to where he made a famous treaty with the Indians under the old Elm of Shackamaxon. As we think of this solemn meeting, let us remember that the Elm every one knows Philadelphia,

9 Digitized

by Microsoft®

IO

Treaty was never broken. pledge to Penn,

whom

The Indian never

Quaker leader never broke

great

forgot his

he called "Brother Onas," and the his faith with the red

man.

To most

is

known

as the

Keystone

There are four reasons given for the adoption

State. this

of us, Pennsylvania

name

:



of

Penn's Treaty.

(i)

you

If

at a

will notice that

sylvania

may

you look

is

map

of the thirteen original states,

they form an irregular arch.

Penn-

located at the center of this great arch, and

be called for that reason the Keystone of the Arch of

States. (2)

In the early days Pennsylvania was the most im-

portant

state

in

foreign trade. Digitized

by Microsoft®

Hundreds

of

vessels

1

1

spread their white

in the

New

given the cial

of

may be

It

was commer-

that Pennsylvania

Keystone State because of

its

prominence. Before the year 1800 a French major, L'Enfant by

(3)

name,

laid out the city of

The

the nation.

not

World.

title

the breezes of the Delaware was the greatest center of trade

sails to

River, and Philadelphia

all

Washington as the

stones for the

new

capital of

needed, and some of them were used to

bridge over

Rock Creek,

were

capitol building

make

a

a small stream flowing between

Washington and Georgetown. Thirteen stones of the arch were

visible,

and the cunning

Frenchman carved on the faces of these stones abbrevi" PA." was cut on the ations of the names of the states. central or key stone, and some claim our state is called the Keystone for

this reason.

It is

probable that L'Enfant

chose this stone for Pennsylvania in honor of the position

and importance of the

state,

and

in

honor of the part

Pennsylvania took in the adoption of the great Declaration of Independence. (4) July

1,

1776, the Declaration of Independence

The

reported to the Continental Congress.

patriots

was

knew

that our country could not be free and independent unless

the Declaration was adopted.

The

final

three days to give Franklin and Samuel

vote was delayed

Adams

a'

to bring Pennsylvania into line for the measure,

give Caesar

ware

Rodney time

to cast his vote

and

to ride

from

his

home

and

to

in Dela-

his state's vote for freedom.

July 4th, Delaware was ready to vote, and the called.

chance

roll

On was

All the states voted " Aye," until Pennsylvania,

the last state, was reached. Digitized

by Microsoft®

12

Five of her delegates were

Franklin and

present.

Wilson voted "Aye," Humphreys and Willing voted "Nay."

Here was crowd

The

a

tie.

of friends

John Morton was outside, listening to a who were begging him to vote " Nay."

John Hancock, began to saw Morton enter the hall.

president,

stop until he

and did not

talk,

Then Morton's

name was

and he

called,

voted "Aye."

Thus

for four

men

of that

days the noble

Congress had been building great

the

arch

made

vote " the

of

human

and John Morton's

liberty,

Pennsylvania

Keystone

of the

Arch

of Liberty."

The next day, John Adams of

almost

Massachusetts,

wild with joy, wrote to his wife these words

"The day

is

:



The

past.

fourth of July, 1776, will be a

memorable epoch

in the I

am

will

be

history of America. The Morton

Tablet.

apt to believe that

it

succeeding generations as the great anni-

celebrated by

versary festival.

It

ought

to

be commemorated as the

day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shows, games,

sports,

from one end

guns,

bells,

bonfires,

and illuminations,

of the continent to the other,

forward forever."

Digitized

by Microsoft®

from

this

time

13

PENN

HOLLAND AND GERMANY.

IN

HAVE you ever wondered why to Pennsylvania in the

of William

Penn

in

so

many Germans came

days of Penn

We

?

think

England, of the voyage on the good

Welcome, of the great treaty, and of Penn in his

ship

.

own colony; but we too often forget that Penn was in Germany as early as 1 671, preaching the religion he loved, and winning honest men to the church of his choice. Again, in 1677, he traveled over Europe with Keith and Fox- and Barclay, preaching the principles of peace to a

war-weary people.

was this great missionary journey that made Penn a power among the Germans and Pennsylvania a refuge It

many of them. In this important mission no other man was so loyal and so helpful to Penn as Benjamin

for so

Furly, the merchant and scholar of Rotterdam.

Furly was born April 13, 1636, and at twenty-four became a merchant in this quaint old city of Holland. He married Dorothe Graigne, and their home was a refuge for scores of learned men. library of rare books

was a welcome

Edward

Clarke,

He

collected a fine

and rarer manuscripts.

resort for such

men

as

Le

Clerc,

His home Limbroch,

John Locke, and Algernon Sidney. The gave to his friend Furly a fine

last of these, in his will,

silver goblet.

Early in first

man

in

life

Furly became a Quaker, and he was the

Europe

to

urge and aid Dutch and German

families to go to America.

meetings when

it

He

often spoke in the

meant imprisonment Digitized

by Microsoft®

to

do

so.

Quaker

He was

14

Penn and Fox

at

a Quaker Meeting in Furly's House.

even bold enough to write to the magistrates of the

demanding of them who met in silence

city,

protection for the pious people of his

faith,

to

worship God according to the

dictates of their owrr consciences.

follows "

:



At Rotterdam the eighth day

This

of the

letter closes

as

month which we

call July, 1675."

Two in

years

later,

when Penn and

his

Holland, Benjamin Furly was the

them, and

From all

it

was

in his

home

companions landed first

man

to greet

that they were entertained.

here they set out to preach the gospel and to invite

oppressed people to the

New

World.

On

this great

journey up the Rhine and through the Palatinate, Furly

was

their fellow-traveler

and

Digitized

faithful interpreter.

by Microsoft®

To him

;

15

Penn submitted

his

famous Frame of Government for

advice and correction. the

Read

protest against slavery in America.

first

words of

advising Penn, wrote

Furly, in

the

this great forerunner of Garrison, Whittier, Mott,



and Lincoln " Let no blacks be brought in directly. And if any come out of Virginia, Maryland, or elsewhere in families that have formerly brought them Phillips,

:

elsewhere

them be declared

let

(as in

ye west jersey

constitutions) free at 8 years end."

Company

Furly aided in founding the great Frankford

and

it

was the agent

of this

company, Francis Daniel

Germantown, a German Quaker, who wrote, in 1688, the first protest against slavery ever drafted on this side of the Atlantic. Who will say that Furly was not the hero who moved Pastorius and the Up de Graffs Pastorius, of

to take this noble action

Penn and in

his

seven days,

?

company landed in Holland July 26, and at Amsterdam, was held the first Yearly

Meeting of Friends on the Continent. What a meeting this was Dutch Quakers from at least six cities of Holland, and German Quakers from as many cities up the Rhine, heard William Penn and George Fox, Robert Barclay and !

George Keith, preach the peaceful gospel of Here,

too,

Penn learned

that

far

away

a godly to

life.

the east,

where the sluggish Vistula mingles with the Baltic, in Danzig, Poland, the seeds of the Quaker faith had been planted in true hearts by William Ames.

Vienna, John Sobieski, to the east,

Penn

was King

who

in 1683 sent the

of Poland.

To

wrote, pleading for his brethren Digitized

by Microsoft®

Persecution

The defender

soon tried the souls of the converts.

:

Turks

of

flying

this great leader



i6

"

O

King

When

!

did the

true

persecu

religion

Were

not her weapons prayers, tears, and patience

clubs

and

reach the

swords and prisons and banishme

staves,

convert the heart, or convince the

soul,

C

?

m

man? In 1576 there sat on your throne, Steph who declared, I am king of men, not of conscienc of

'

king of bodies, not of

souls.'

"

Earnest words were these. It

would be

of the

Sobieski's

of great interest to

Turk had

to

know what

reply

is

1
7

&aai

J

^?n'to

cr-ty

J^Lr,/*^

/,

£

~Ltvf

laration of

Independence.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

^T^JgiC

184

Then they

independence and three for Caesar Rodney. took the picture of King George and put

gave it

it

to the

drummer

of

Rodney's

it

militia,

all

the patriots in

marched around the public square, and picture of

the king into

a

staff,

and

and he carried

They were folDover. They

before the president of the Assembly.

lowed, two by two, by

on a

finally cast the

big bonfire

that

had been

lighted in the square.

As

the flames leaped into the face of the cruel king, the

president said, " Compelled by strong necessity, thus

destroy even the shadow of that king

who

we

refused to reign

over a free people."

THE OLD LIBERTY

BELL.

EVERY land

Liberty silent

person in is

Bell.

witness

this

broad

proud of the old It is a

now

sacred and

of the great

deeds of long ago.

November ist, 175 1, Isaac Norris, Thomas Leech, and Edward Warren, the superintendents of

the

Philadelphia,

old

Statehouse in

wrote to

Robert

Charles in London, and asked

him "to get us a good bell of 2000 pounds weight."

about

The

bell

When

it

came on the ship Matilda, in August, 1752. was hung and tried for the sound, it was cracked Digitized

by Microsoft®



185

by a stroke of the clapper, without any violence whatever. Pass and Stow, of Philadelphia, re-cast it; but it made such a poor sound that it was again broken up and reThis time

cast.

At

was satisfactory. was ready to be put

it

last the bell

tower of the old Statehouse.

The

in its place in the

notice of this reads

:



"June 7, 1753. Last week was raised and fixed in the State House steeple, the new great bell cast here by Pass and Stow, weigh'

ing 2080 pounds,

[

with this motto:

Proclaim liberty

throughout

all

the land, unto

all

the

inhabitants

thereof.

Levit.

10."

xxv,

This

was

motto

se-

by Isaac

lected

Where

N orris. On that

the Declaration

written.

On

the 8th of July, 1776, this bell became famous.

day the Statehouse yard was crowded with eager

They had met

patriots.

Declaration of

to hear the reading of the great

Independence.

multitude gave a mighty shout.

human Its

was

voices rang out,

When

sharp and

tongue spoke defiance

to

it

was read the

But above the roar

of

bold, the great bell.

tyranny and comfort to the

colonists.

John Adams almost

all

It called

says,

night."

the

men

"the great

Its stern voice

bell

rang

of Georgia to join the Digitized

all

day,

sounded from sea

by Microsoft®

men

of

and

to sea.

Massa-

!

!

!

1

chusetts.

86

sounded through

It

city

merchant and farmer and forester

and

forest,

to the front.

calling

notes

Its

rang across the rugged sea and sent a shudder through

The

England.

America

Liberty Bell

to their duty.

In 1777,

it

was

it

hastily placed

to Allentown, that the British

cast

it

For

into cannon. fifty

years

was.

It it

the

It called

men

of

rang for independence

It

on a wagon and hurried

might not break

was returned

it

up and

late in 1778.

rang the glad tidings of liberty on

every anniversary

On

the morning of July 8th, 1835, while

it

was

tolling

the solemn news of the death of Chief Justice Marshall,

who

died in Philadelphia two days before, and whose body

was being conveyed

boat to be sent to Virginia,

to a

it

cracked

On

February

22,

1843,

it

was rung

to

celebrate the

anniversary of the birth of the greatest American.

But

the old bell could not bear the strain, the crack lengthened

and widened, and

its

tongue became

silent forever.

THE FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.

JOHN ADAMS was so happy over the adoption of the Declaration of Independence that he wrote his wife the next day that the its

American people ought

to celebrate

anniversary with great joy.

The next year, 1777, Congress was still in session in Philmade the day a holiday, in order to celebrate

adelphia and the occasion.

This was the Digitized

first

celebration of the kind,

by Microsoft®

18/

and

was so successful that it has been repeated ever and for many, many years July 4th has been a holiday by law in every state in the Union. it

since,

We

can in no better way honor the great day than by

doing as our fathers did in Philadelphia from the

you may know

all

about the

from the following

first

first,

and

Fourth of July celebration

from John Adams, the second President of the United States, to his daughter letter

:

My dear Daughter

:



Philadelphia, July



5,

1777.

Yesterday being the anniversary of American Independence, was celebrated here with a festivity and ceremony becoming the occasion. I am too

old to delight in pretty descriptions,

if

I

had a

talent for

them, otherwise a picture might be drawn which would

The thought

please the fancy of a Whig, at least.

of

taking any notice of this day was not conceived until the

second of this month, and third.

It

was too

late

it

to

was not mentioned

until the

have a sermon, as every one

wished, so this must be deferred another year.

and to The general officers, and others in town dine together. were invited, after the President and Council, and Board of War of this State. In the morning, the Delaware frigate, Congress determined

to adjourn over that day,

and other Continental armed vessels, the Pennsylvania ship, and row galleys, and guard boats, were all hauled off in the river, and several of them several large galleys,

beautifully dressed in the colors of

all

nations, displayed

about upon the masts, yards, and rigging. the ships were

all

manned Digitized

;

that

by Microsoft®

is,

the

At one

o'clock

men were

all

i88

ordered

aloft,

and

upon

arranged

shrouds, making a striking appearance —

men drawn up in order Then I went on board and several gentlemen

and

the top-yards of

companies of

in the air.

the Delaware with the President

Marine Committee

of the

soon

;

which we were saluted with a charge of thirteen

after

guns, which was followed by thirteen others from each other armed vessel in the river

;

then the galleys followed

them the guard boats. company returned in the barge to the shore, and were saluted with three cheers from every ship, galley, and boat in the river. The wharves and shores were lined with a vast concourse of people, shouting and huzzaing in a manner which gave the

fire,

Then

and

after

the President and

great joy to every friend of this country, and the utmost

and dismay

terror

At

to

every lurking Tory.

we went

three,

to dinner,

and were very agreeably

entertained with excellent company, good cheer, fine music

from the band of Hessians taken

Trenton, and con-

at

between every toast, from a company of drawn up in Second Street, before the City Tavern, where we dined. The toasts were in honor of our country and the heroes who had fallen in their pious tinual volleys

soldiers

efforts

to

defend her.

After

this,

two troops of

light-

way

horse, raised in Maryland, accidentally here on their to

Camp, were paraded through Second

Street; after

them

a train of artillery, and then about a thousand infantry,

now

in this

Carolina.

City,

on their march

to

Camp, from North Common, where

All these marched into the

they went through their firings and manoeuvers did

not follow them.

In

Digitized

the evening,

by Microsoft®

I

;

but

I

was walking

1

about the streets for a

was surprised

find

to

89 fresh air and exercise, and

little

the whole city lighting up their

candles at the windows. I

walked most

most splendid

of the evening,

illumination

I

and

I

think

saw

ever

;

a

it

was the

few

surly

houses were dark, but the lights were very universal.

Con-

sidering the lateness of the design, and the suddenness

was amazed

of the execution, I

at the universal joy

was discovered, and

alacrity that

at

the brilliancy and

splendor of every part of this joyful exhibition. forgot the ringing of bells bonfires in the streets,

Had

General

master, this

all

I

had

day and evening, and the

and the fireworks played

Howe been

and

here

in

disguise,

off.

or

his

show would have given them the heartache. I

am

your affectionate father,

John Adams.

CAPTAIN PERCY AT THE BATTLE OF THE BRANDYWINE.

ON

September n, 1777, Howe and Cornwallis surprised Washington at Birmingham meeting house, and the battle of the Brandywine was Early that morning the English army broke camp fought. on the hills nprth of Kennett Square. Part of them under a hot, sultry afternoon,

Knyphausen were

to

move over

Washington's attention there. the

command

of

Howe

to

Chadds Ford and keep

The

other division, under

and Cornwallis, followed the old

road toward Marshalton. Howe's movements were directed by Montressor, his chief engineer, who had been Digitized

by Microsoft®

190 in the

country for several years and was thoroughly

fa-

At Trimbles Ford, on the west the Brandywine, the army turned toward the crossed the east branch at Jeffers Ford. Here

miliar with the locality.

branch of

and it some Wilmington merchants had stored

east,

a quantity of rare

They thought

that the

army would, of course, attack Wilmington march from the " Head of Elk " to Philadelphia. Before all of Howe's forces had crossed at the

in their

old liquors in Mr. Jeffers's cellar. British

fording,

the stores were found, and these wine casks nearly proved to

be a greater enemy than the Americans at Birmingham

meeting house.

At Sconneltown,

a

little

group of houses on the summits

of the hills east of the stream, the Friends their

The meeting house

midweek meeting.

ham was found

it

up for a

fitted

were holding

hospital,

at

Birming-

and the Friends had

necessary to adjourn to the wheelwright shop

Sconneltown.

While they were

at

sitting there in silent wor-

was heard around the door. A few perThe noise and excitement went on. sons stepped out. The meeting soon closed. When the Friends came out the men clad in their plain coats and hats, and the women with their little white caps and long bonnets they met a crowd of frightened people. The English, it was said, were coming, and were murdering everybody ship,

much

noise





they met, young and that this

was a

old.

false report.

The Friends told the people The English would not hurt

them.

Suddenly

all

eyes were turned toward the

the Brandywine.

woods

into the

hills

The English were coming fields.

beyond

out of the

Their bayonets glistened in the

Digitized

by Microsoft®

I9i clear sunlight.

The main body

of the

army while march-

ing was a half mile in breadth. It

was not long before the advance part

reached the heights at Sconneltown.

of the

army

Cornwallis, in his

and epaulets, was an object of great curiosity to the half-frightened women and boys. They were attracted by the soft white hands of the officers and the mustaches of the Hessian rich scarlet clothing, loaded with gold lace

They had never seen such things before. The made a short halt while they fed their horses

soldiers.

English

upon green corn

was gathered from the

fodder, which

They treated the people along the way manner and destroyed but little property. " If it had not been for your George Washington and your Declaration of Independence, we would never have drawn field

near by.

in a civil

our swords against you," said one of the

officers

to

a

Friend he met at Sconneltown.

The army hastened toward menced climbing Osborne Hill.

Strodes

Mill,

and com-

Some women in a neighThey were so

boring house were busy baking pies. excited while

the soldiers were passing and the drums

were beating, that they ran from the oven to the door, and back again to the dough tray. The bottom crust of

some

pies

women

was

rolled

and placed

in the dishes, then the

ran to the door again, and coming back forgot to

place the apples in the pies, but clapped on the upper

and put the pies into the oven. From Osborne Hill the British officers could see the American forces forming at Birmingham meeting house. " The rebels fall into line well," said one of the colonels. crust

Captain Percy was sad and Digitized

silent as

by Microsoft®

he glanced over the

192

Birmingham Meeting House.

He saw

September landscape.

beautiful

the

bills fall

away toward the Brandywine, and the high rolling and

forest

beyond fade

His face grew

"This

pale,

and

his

the place," he

is

fields

dreamy blue in the distance. bridle rein shook in his hand.

into a

"I've seen these

said;

hills

before." "

When

"

I

were you here ?" asked Ashton.

was never here,"

familiar to

seen

me

all this in

and turning

my boy sages.

;

as

he- replied

" but this country

Northumberland

a dream.

I

shall

them

that

I

Digitized

in

England.

I

is

as

have

be killed in this battle;"

to his servant Clifford,

take this purse, and

Tell

;

my

he

said, "

Come

here,

watch, and these mes-

died in obedience to the king's by Microsoft®

193

commands.

Then, turning

not fear, but

I

know

to

that this

Ashton, he

is

my

"This

said,

is

last battle."

Percy then put spurs to his horse and rode rapidly toward Birmingham meeting house. There in the middle of the fray, near the northern wall of the graveyard, he

was

After the Americans were driven back, Percy

shot.

was carried

into the

The members

meeting house and

of the Society of

nurses, were very

much drawn toward

He

was slowly dying. relative of the

Duke

of

told

them

on the

laid

Friends,

who

floor.

acted as

the young man,

that

who

he was a near

Northumberland, and that death

had no terrors for him. He knew it all when he reached Osborne Hill that afternoon. He knew that this was the He died that last day's sunshine he would ever see. The next day the British buried Colonel Gordon night. and Captain Percy in one grave. A few days later a

company

of English

horsemen came

into the

graveyard

and rode their horses over and over the grave signs of

it

until all

were gone.

WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE'S

ESCAPE.

EARLY eral

on the morning of September n, 1777, GenKnyphausen, who commanded the Hessian sol-

diers at the battle of

Brandywine, broke camp near

" the

Anvil" and marched down the state road past Hamerton and old Kennett meeting house. After reaching the Lancaster Inn, they were met by American detachments from From there to the Brandywine, these Maxwell's corps.

Americans disputed the ground. Digitized

At

by Microsoft®

the schoolhouse the

194

Hessian forces divided and drove Maxwell's

Then Knyphausen

the stream.

high ground west of the

tended from

opposite

located his

men across men on the

Their line ex-

Brandywine.

Brintons Ford south

Chadds

to

Their instructions were to remain there and make

Ford.

some show

of crossing.

This would occupy the attention

of Washington's army, thus giving Cornwallis and a chance to get

around behind the Americans.

Howe

Perhaps

they knew that Washington had directed General Sullivan to

guard the crossings of the Brandywine from Brintons

Ford as

far as the forks of the stream.

Cornwallis and

Howe

the Brandywine that

about

it.

The heavy

Sullivan

failed

to

fog of the morning

During the

to get information.

At any

rate,

crossed so far above the forks of learn anything

made

difficult

it

entire forenoon the

two

armies lay at Chadds Ford, watching each other.

The day had

when Major Furgesson

scarcely cleared,

concealed his riflemen in the edge of a wood, overlooking the slope and the

He

wine.

meadows along the

beautiful Brandy-

could see the American lines along the east

bank of the stream. Suddenly he noticed two horsemen coming slowly up the slope, towards where his men were Who could they be ? As they came nearer, he lying. whispered

to

one of his men, " Rebel

see that fellow in a hussar dress

Look

!

see that

man who

follows

green and blue, with a big cocked

officers

to this

stump three

celebrated riflemen.

?

Do you

hat.

Go

He's mounted on

They both

sit

quickly, silently, bring

of the best shots

among Furgesson's

We'll put a stop to their curiosity." Digitized

?

him, dressed in dark

the best bay horse I've seen in America.

easy in the saddle, don't they

!

Doesn't he ride well

?

by Microsoft®

195

Before

order could be obeyed, Furgesson felt what he had done, and ordered his men not to fire. The two horsemen made a circuit around the field, examining the edge of the woods very closely, this

ashamed

of

without going too near, the

man

in the

hussar dress

turning some distance from where Furgesson

man

the

lay.

re-

But

green and blue came within a hundred yards

in

of the edge of the woods.

Furgesson stepped out

from

his

hiding place

The

and

called to him.

fine

bay horse walked

on,

and the

man

ing

stately-look-

turned in his

saddle a moment.

Fur-

gesson called again, and

made

signs for him to

stop.

But the unknown

man

slowly rode away.

Furgesson, in ter written

to

a

a

let-

friend General George Washington.

.

America some years later, says: "As I was within that distance in

the quickest firing,

I

at which, in

could have lodged half a dozen balls

about him before he was out of

my

had was not pleasant to fire at the back of an unoffending man who was doing his duty so coolly and carefully, so I let him alone." The next day, when Furgesson was telling this story to in or

only to determine

some wounded

;

but

officers

meeting house, a

reach,

I

it

who were with him in Birmingham who had been dressing the

surgeon, Digitized

by Microsoft®

196

wounds of some American officers, said that Washington had been out all that morning with the light troops, and was accompanied only by a young French officer in Washington, they said, was dressed in a hussar dress. dark green and blue and was mounted on a fine bay Furgesson replied

horse.

were.

It

is

surgeon that he "was

to the

know

very glad that he did not

at

He and Washington

General Lafayette.

who they

the time

thought that the young French

officer

was

never knew the

danger they had escaped. o!*«o

GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE. " j_l

"

ERE

comes one

of the greatest

Reese

1 1

try,"

Run

into the shed, quick! pull

said

Betsy

out the best goblet

;

to

the general

men

her daughter Peggy.

down your is

in this coun-

sleeves, bring

a-going to stop for a

drink of water."

Wayne rode up, mounted on a fine He wore a dingy red coat, a black rusty

Just then General

roan horse. cravat,

and a tarnished lace

hat.

Peggy came running with the goblet, one sleeve up and Mrs. Reese had drawn a bucket of water. She held one rein of Wayne's restless steed while Peggy handed him the goblet brimful of clear, cold water. The general was very polite, and after many thanks and graceone down.

ful

bows hastened down the

road, followed

by a cloud

of

dust.

" Sure, now, he's the

same boy he used

Digitized

by Microsoft®

to be.

Neither

197 big nor small, but stout and active,

and ruddy

face.

stirrups to

bow

Did you

Oh

?

— the same bright eye

see, girl,

how he

raised in his

he's every inch a gentleman, he

!

Waynes when he was a baby. There Anthony now." "Where did the Waynes live " asked Peggy, who was beginning to roll down lived with the

I

is.

are no boys like

?

the other sleeve.

"Live ? Out 'Waynesborough,' Easttown told

you

time

?

at in

haven't

;

this

I

many

He was

a

Mr.

Isaac Wayne's only son. It

was

in '45

New

What

Day

born.

baby he was,

a

be sure

to

slept

Year's

when he was

Ate and

!

most of the time.

I

knew

a

war coming

was

that there just

General Anthon >'

as

soon as that boy was big enough the like in

He

drilled

all

my

He

life.

to play.

played soldier

Way ne

-

I

never saw

all

the time.

them and marched them, and what snow

forts

he did build, with towers on the corners and piles of frozen snowballs

inside!

smarter than you " Well, I It's

not

"You

my

He was are,

smart,

too

—a

good sight

Peggy."

guess he didn't have the same

mammy

I

had.

fault."

needn't get pouty about

seen the general a-ciphering Digitized

it,

now.

when he was

by Microsoft®

You should have a boy.

He'd

fill

198 a whole slate full of his big sums.

When

got ahead of his daddy.

him

the

to

much

Academy

He came home

said that he

smart do

it.

man

to

like,

but he

land.

Many's the time

pick him out from

all

He

made

never took

mark

his

at

with a compass and a chain, and

was a surveyor. measure

I

tell

you,

girl, it

takes a

my lad Anthony, he

But

could

I've dusted his papers, all full of

Didn't the great Doctor Franklin

long rows of figures.

the boys in this country, or Philadel-

phia, as the best one to

great tract of

Philadelphia.

in

Latin and such

to

figures.

Many's the time he

he was sixteen, they sent

new land

?

go to Nova Scotia I tell

survey a

to

you, old Mr. Isaac

Wayne

was proud that day. Anthony was scarcely twenty-one Waynesyears old. It was pretty dull and quiet around borough after Anthony was gone. Once Miss Polly Penrose, whose father was a rich storekeeper in Philadelphia, came up to stay awhile with Anthony's mother. I had my suspicions just as soon as I saw Miss Polly." '

'

"

Did you, think she'd steal?" asked Peggy, innocently. Goodness gracious, child, have you lost your wits? Steal! Why, Mistress Polly was a lady, I'd have you know. She was there a-visiting. And as I was asaying, I had my suspicions. Her eyes grew brighter, and her cheeks a little redder every time they would show her anything which was Anthony's. Mrs. Wayne had a patchwork quilt, and all the small diamond pieces were made from Anthony's little dresses and pants. Miss Polly was " Steal

!

knew it then, and sure enough, when Anthony came home from Nova Scotia, the terribly taken with the quilt.

very

first

I

thing he did was to go and marry Miss Polly.

" I tell you, girl, he

was always particular about how

Digitized

by Microsoft®

199

You wouldn't have

he dressed.

seen him looking as he

did this morning before the winter at Valley Forge.

He

winter was hard on him.

He

used to be fond of white and blue uni-

his

soldiers

before that.

And

form.

going into

Wayne's

Many

battle.

would

soldiers

rags and

That

never wore dingy clothes

must be

all

trigged up before

a time I've heard him say that

fight better in trim, neat

Your

dirt.

father,

uniforms than in

used

girl,

barbers, one for each company.

laugh about

to

No

soldier

was

allowed on parade unless washed and shaved, and with his

and powdered.

hair plaited

about

this,

The

general was very strict

even after the boys had

duds, and had

little left

lost

almost

their

all

except their hair and their beards.

Their guns had to be polished and

oiled,

and they must

stand up straight and march, just the same as

if

they had

uniforms."

"That's what you were thinking about," said Peggy, "

when you

told

me

to roll

down my

sleeves.

I

didn't

know

then what you wanted." " No,

you

never

do

till

about

There's nothing quick about you,

"As

I

was

a-saying, I

was

night of the Paoli massacre.

a

week

afterwards.

girl.

Waynesborough the Such a time as we did have at

'

'

!

" Mistress Polly

was very uneasy that night, and said that she knew something was going to happen. She didn't go to bed until after ten o'clock. We knew that the general was encamped within a few miles from us. She

was a-counting on him coming over that night. And when he didn't come, she was sure that something must have happened. I told her that it was raining too hard for him to leave camp, and she knew what a great man he was to Digitized

by Microsoft®

'

200 stand by his

We

He

raised

man came running down

hour a

In less than half an

the road

us that the British were trying

told

'They came on

he

us,'

Wayne

was sure she heard a firing the west window and could

very plain in the distance.

it

Mrs.

eleven

after

little

said that she

toward the camp. hear

A

duty.

She

called me.

said, 'in

all

out of breath.

to capture Wayne.

We

the dark.

knew

that

they were coming, and were lying in the rain with our

guns under to

one of

Wayne's

us.

a great fighter,

the hottest

born "

'

fire

I

artillery could

was ever

What

you running

are

you

I tell

'

called tell

said,

him a coward, but you, Mrs.

was up

you.

He

until the

fire

general

off.

It

was

too stub-

is

'

said Mrs.

it

crowd

little

and ran

was too

Wayne was

Wayne.

'

Why

?

late

to fight the

Mistress Polly

on.

he didn't hear

;

it.

when her blood

high-strung

" !

" Well,

Peggy,

?

for

no use for our

it's

whole British army,' he

I

them

to retreat.'

don't you go back this instant "

tell

be drawn

The

in.

I

camp

kept us between the English and our

baggage wagons and

of

There were two

waiting for them.

us,

should have been scared

I

who was

all

to pieces," said

standing with her arms akimbo.

"So would any

other

woman

except Mrs. Wayne," said

Mrs. Reese. "

But as

I

was

a-saying,''

she continued, " Mrs.

soon came down from her high horse.

Wayne

In a few minutes

another deserter came along, and told us that the general

was

killed

man

said that

came

and

all

his soldiers captured.

Wayne was

for a long time. Digitized

taken prisoner.

The

night was

by Microsoft®

Then another Then nobody still

and dark.

'

201

The

firing

had

Not a sound could be heard.

stopped.

all

She would

Mistress Polly sat leaning out of the window.

have gone out into the night

but Mr. Robinson

herself,

seemed that hours had passed when, all of a sudden, we heard horsemen galloping down the 'There he comes,' said Mrs. Wayne, with a sigh of road.

wouldn't

let her.

It

relief.

" '

It's

horses "

Sure enough,

were

my all

the British,' said

I

' ;

don't you hear their

all

in less time

around the house.

life.

I

She

them.

was never

seem

a bit frightened.

I tell

said they were after General

knew that he must be hid in the house. "'Then he isn't killed, and he's not

Wayne

so scared in

really

all

carry us

But Mistress Polly talked right up

didn't

They

all grit.

I

than a chicken winks they

knew they would rob and burn and

off prisoners.

Mrs.

heavy

?

to

you, she's

Wayne. They

a prisoner!' and

thanked them for the good news.

She

had not been there that night. They might search the house, and she would expect them to

told

them

behave

that he

like

and me closets,

like

And

gentlemen.

disturb

didn't

anything,

two great

they certainly

ladies.

under the beds, and

They

They hunted through

in the garret

They thanked Mrs. Wayne

in the barn.

did.

and they treated Mrs. Wayne and

cellar,

the

and

for her courtesy,

must take Robert and James along with them, and they hoped that no harm would come to

and

her.

told her that they

It

did so

angered

much

gentlemen.

me

that they took the

men

away, but they

we expected that we called them Abraham Robinson came and took care of

better than

us after that." Digitized

by Microsoft®

202

WAYNE'S CAMP AT YELLOW SPRINGS.

CHRISTIAN HENCH

He

was a determined Whig.

Yellow Springs, now Chester Springs. the afternoon of September 16, 1777, Mr. Hench

lived near the

On

had been out

salting his large

"That's as

bunch

a

fine

the county," he said to "

a

herd of fat

cattle.

of

steers as

lame

soldier

There were no such herds

A

Germany.

in

could never work up there as he can here.

man, you've been your

bullet in

you

as

the army.

in

leg.

I

My

family needed meat.

in

poor

man

tell

you,

I

-carry an

English

hate European oppression as

I

Once, when

do.

You

find

you'll

standing near.

lived over there,

my

He

brother was poor.

much

brother's

could

He went out into the king's The king's gamekeeper saw him,

not see his family starve.

and shot a hare.

forest

and shot him on the

They

killed.

told

spot.

me

they would attend to

yet

theirs.

why my my own

Then and

there

brother was affairs,

vowed not

I

life

and

was not

so

as that of a hare.

" Yes,

move

asked

country where a man's

to live longer in a

much

I

to attend to

I

all

my

man,

ever made. I

have

I

my

is

yonder spotted heifer

You

is

to-day.

at

Brandyvvine

morning.

Germany, and it was the best thank God for what I have. And

left

I

country's to

if

she needs

fellows could have if

I'd give

it.

know where General Washington whipped the

you had kept your eyes open

Did you know that Major Spear who

Washington

?

man, cheer up,

I

believe that he lost us the battle.

we'll

whip the redcoats

Digitized

by Microsoft®

yet.

I

British in the lied to

Come,

agree with

203

Anthony Wayne, will get

that our cause deserves success,

" Hello, what's

that coming

down the road

nental soldiers, as sure as I'm alive

horse "

and we

it.

is

General Wayne's.

Hunting a camping

I'd

And

!

know

place, are

Conti-

?

that fine roan

that roan.

you

?

Well, general,

you have known me for years. That field will hold you, I'm a-thinking. Wait till I pull out the bars. Tell your

men

to help themselves.

All

I

have

is

theirs.

My

losses

cannot equal their sufferings."

No

second invitation was needed.

Wood was

white with tents.

The

fine

herd of

The

field

was soon

hauled for the camp

fires.

fat cattle, the joy of the farmer's heart,

was quickly driven from the meadow up to the barnyard, and the work of slaughter commenced. "Take all you need, boys," said Mr. Hench. "I know that you must be hungry. Had a battle this morning, eh Too wet for you, was it ? Well, you are just like us farmers, ?

— have to turn in when "Yes,

sir,"

it

rains."

replied one of the soldiers.

"We

were

all

ready for them this morning, on the hills south of the valley. But the rain came on, and our muskets and flints are in bad trim. Not more than half of the guns in our company I tell you, it was a good thing that it are worth anything. Indeed, Mr. Hench, it was a hard march for did rain.

some

A

of us.

man

Rations are slim, and the roads are rough.

with no shoes, and no dinner, and with

all

the

clothes on his back wet through, doesn't find marching an

easy job."

Mr. Hench found that the soldiers were expert butchers.

They took enough

to

make

Digitized

a good supper and breakfast.

by Microsoft®

204

As soon

as the hides were taken

from the

the

steers,

on the ground, hair side down,

soldiers spread the skins

placed their torn and bleeding feet on the flesh side, and cut,

with their knives, enough of the hide to

tie

roughly

manner a number of them were shod when they marched away the next morning. around the ankle.

How

In this

they shouted in the peach orchard while they

filled their

knapsacks, eating

all

the while

!

Hench commenced baking bread that evening as From that time until daysoon as the soldiers arrived. Mrs.

light, as fast as

one

loaves

lot of

another was ready to take

kneaded bread

its

was taken from the oven, All night Mrs.

place.

The

at the dough-tray.

Hench

half-famished

sol-

was out of the pieces and devoured the

diers could scarcely wait until the bread

They

oven.

pulled the loaves to

bread by the handful.

Two wounded

officers

Mrs. Hench's rooms.

occupied separate beds

The

next morning they

They determined

to settle

it

They could sit up They sent their servants downstairs in

one of

fell into a

Hard names were

dispute over the battle of Brandywine. called.

in

by fighting a

bed and they could to clean

fight

it

duel.

there.

and load the

pistols.

some way, heard of the affair. once went to the servants and took the pistols from Then she went up to the officers' room and gave

Good Mrs. Hench, She

at

them.

them

a

in

sound scolding for daring

such doings.

Before the

to disgrace

officers

left

her house by

she succeeded in

making peace between them. It was a happy band of soldiers that left Mr. Hench's farm the next morning to march to French Creek, where Digitized

by Microsoft®

205 the

The

powder works were.

stuffed with meat, bread,

soldiers'

knapsacks were

and peaches.

Those wearing

the rawhide moccasins slapped their thighs and laughed.

The

sores on their feet felt

After Wayne's army

would not be safe

much

left,

better.

Mr. Hench thought that

to stay there.

the British should

If

come, they would punish him for treating Wayne's Mr.

well. it

into

Hench

collected

all his silver

He

cellar.

told

men

so

and gold and put

an earthen milk crock, which he buried

corner of the

it

no one except

his

in

one

youngest

daughter. " If

we

are

all killed,"

he said

spared, and then you will

to her,

"your

know where

life

may be

the treasure

is."

Mr. Hench loaded his goods on a four-horse wagon, and, driving his stock before

where he camped

When

him, went far into the woods,

for several days.

he returned he found things as he had

left

them,

except that the fences had been destroyed by the British

army.

LIGHT-HORSE HARRY.

AFTER

the

Paoli

massacre,

the

pared to cross the Schuylkill River.

encamped in the Great Valley not and on the west side of the river. Cornwallis moved north into burning fence

Some

rails

of the stolen

far

army preIt had been

British

from Valley Forge,

Schuylkill

Township,

and taking the farmers' provisions.

meat was salted

Mrs. Anderson's best bureau. Digitized

by Microsoft®

in

the drawers

of

;

206

Washington was on the and determined

When

to

Cornwallis

east side of

prevent the

British

the Schuylkill,

from crossing.

gathered his soldiers opposite Parker

Ford, Washington was sure that he intended either to cross here or to destroy the Continental

Warwick on French Creek.

By

powder works

forced marches,

ington massed his troops at Pottsville,

now

Pottstown.

He

Cornwallis saw that his trick was working well.

drove his baggage wagons and

artillery,

of the army, across the river at ville),

and

at

at

Wash-

with a large part

Gordons Ford (Phcenix-

Flatland Ford, a short distance below.

Before Washington knew

it,

the greater portion of the

English army was east of the Schuylkill, and the road

was open. General Washington always made the best of a defeat. He at once remembered that he had caused a quantity

to Philadelphia

flour to

of

be collected at a large mill on the

river,

about halfway between the British army and Philadelphia

and he decided hands

the

of

to prevent this flour

English.

Whom

from

falling into the

should he send on this

There were Colonel Hamilton (Alex-

dangerous mission?

ander Hamilton) and Light-horse Harry (Henry Lee, father

Robert E. Lee), both young men, and

of

They

full of dash.

quickly mounted their swift southern horses, and,

with a few picked men, galloped rapidly around the British

army, and came to the top of a long

to the mill. fire

their

Here two horsemen were

guns and rush down the

hill

left,

hill as

leading

down

with orders to

soon as they saw

any British dragoons coming.

At

the foot of the

race to a road leading

hill was a bridge crossing the away from the river.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

mill

!

207

"If the English chase ride

us,"

young Lee, "we'll

said

through that bridge, and escape into the country.

Luce," he added, patting his favorite mare on the neck,

"can outrun any English horse in all Cornwallis's army." " That may be," said the more cautious Hamilton, " if they don't hold the bridge, and head you off. To make sure against a

surprise,

I

will

get this boat ready for

a pull across the river." "

No need

to

waste time on an old

mud

boat," said Lee.

" Stick to the saddle."

Then they dismounted, hastily The astonished

into the mill.

tied their horses,

from Washington, and caught up

The men barrel of

set to

good

work with

his

and ran

read their orders

miller

hat and ran

out.

a will, and rolled barrel after

flour into the race.

The water

ran thick

paste to the river. "

Let the Schuylkill, instead of Cornwallis, carry the

bread of

life

past Philadelphia," shouted one of the men,

The Bang words were scarcely out of his mouth when bang " went the guns of the frightened sentinels, who were racing headlong down the hill, with a party of Engas he rolled the last barrel of flour into the water. "

!

lish

"

dragoons close behind.

Run

late to

for the boat, boys," shouted Hamilton.

make

Instantly four "

Now

"It's too

the bridge."

pull for

men tumbled your

into the boat with Hamilton.

lives," yelled Lee.

"

I'll

save three

horses, and not overload the boat." "It's too

"

Come

late

to

make

the

bridge,"

said

Hamilton.

with us."

Lee sprang over an

old millstone,

Digitized

by Microsoft®

and vaulted

into the

208

The two remaining men

saddle.

followed him.

Faithful

Luce gathered herself for a race with death. With a great bound she sprang into the air. Spurs were not needed. Already the British dragoons, with swords drawn and carbines firing, were chasing the two sentinels toward the bridge. The distances were about equal, and the English were coming downhill.

The English dragoons shouted with Lee.

But the Virginia-bred horses were

They dashed

into the bridge only a

Sure of

delight.

from the sentinels

their victims, they turned

to capture

the wind.

fleet as

few rods

advance

in

whose heavy horses and poor aim saved the and his men. lives of Lee The dragoons saw that it was useless to pursue further, of the British,

and wheeled

their horses in order to capture the party in

the boat before they could get out of range.

men were

Hamilton's

straining and bending their oars

The English

as they drove the boat across the current.

and glanced from

bullets splashed in the water " Pull, boys," said

Two

Hamilton.

oarsmen were shot

of his faithful

shoulders, and had to

who was

" Pull for

down

lie

steering, expected every

in the

to

lives

" !

arms and Hamilton,

in the boat.

minute

their oars.

your

be shot in the

back.

" Let

her swing in

the

current,"

he

said.

" It will

change the range."

The it

river

swiftly

caught the

down

the

little

stream.

cursing their luck in

finding

boat like a chip, and swept

The dragoons, who were no boats

rushed down the bank to get another shot. out of range.

On

fit

for

pursuit,

The boat was

the other shore Hamilton procured a

Digitized

by Microsoft®

209 horse,

and rode

ters.

He

at full

speed to Washington's headquar-

feared that Lee had fallen into the hands of the

Could anything be done to save him ? Washington was reading a letter when Hamilton

British.

rived

"

he looked up and smiled, saying,

;

you that Light-horse Harry

inform

me

asks

nothing can be done

if

is

that he fears that you, to

fellow.

"

I

my mind more

than

Hamilton; "I

He's a brave and noble

rejoice in his escape."

Not any more than

deeply regretted

I

do,"

allowing you

brained adventure.

Your

to

are captured, and

lately," said

was sure that Lee was captured.

to

save you."

" Indeed, your honor, this relieves

anything that has happened

ar-

a mes-

I

safe. sir,

is

am happy He writes

sage just received from your friend Lee. tell

This

You

said to

" I

Washington.

go on such a hare-

are both too valuable to lose.

interest in each other

is

knits the South with the North

very gratifying to me.

It

— a much-needed thing

in

these times."

WAYNE'S LETTERS TO HIS WIFE. "

WES indeed,

Mrs. Wayne, of course

I

should,

if

you'll

You know that Anthony was my boy. read them. Didn't Didn't I nurse him when he was a little codger I mend his clothes when he used to play soldier in the I

?

woods ? from his

Yes indeed, you read me just what you like letters, and I'll be a-darning these stockings the

while."

And good

on her

face, settled

Mrs. Reese, with an air of satisfaction

down Digitized

to

her work.

by Microsoft®

Mrs.

Wayne had

210 in

her hand a large pile of

envelope of each seals

letter

were

The

letters. all in

had the Wayne mark on many

" I'll

Wayne

sheet and the

one piece.

The

big red

of them.

not read you everything, Mrs. Reese," said Mrs. ;

"

I

think

know what

I

will interest

you the most.

August 12, Anthony had charge up there

Here's one from. Fort Ticonderoga,

1776.

You remember

until

that

he joined Washington.

The Wayne Homestead. "

'

Dear Polly,

sent you



I

wrote you by the messenger and.

a small present.

He

particular acc't of this place

matters worse

days

England

militia ;

salt

spirits



I

be able to give you a

;

— but he paint — within these two

and army

than they really are

we have been

than

will

will

reinforced by three thousand

fresh provision

is

New

become more plenty

and our people have recovered health and have now the finest and best Regiment in the Digitized

by Microsoft®

211 Continental Service pleasure by

— we

are viewed with admiration

and

we have

ren-

the officers in the army, and

all

dered our camp almost impregnable.' " That's exactly like

side of things.

be remembered "

hope yet

I

'

Anthony he always ;

to his friends to pass

and neighbors, saying,

many an if

will

"

'

of

Adieu

war should order in the

fell

I

and the rights

my Dear

Girl '

"The was

a

New

Jersey,

frightened about us here at

Dear Polly,



Ant'y Wayne.'

He had

next was in January, 1777.

little

it

support of

mankind. "

Washington's retreat across



agreeable hour in your

and their society — but the fate of otherwise — they remember their Rights

sees the bright

In the latter part of the letter he asks to

'

just

and

I

heard of guess he

Waynesborough.'

know where this will meet you. The rapid progress of the enemy through New Jerperhaps they may now sey only reached us last evening "

'

I

don't



be

and ravaging the country for miles Round. The Anxiety we are under on acc't of our families and

in Phil'a.

"

'

friends

is

much

better felt than expressed

be necessitated to leave Easttown

meet with Hospitality

in the

Back



I

— should

you

doubt not but you'll

parts of the provinces



The British Rebels may be successful for a time they may take and Destroy our Towns near the water and they never will Distress us much But they never can ;



subjugate the freeborn sons of America.

"'Our growing Country can meet with Considerable Losses and survive them Digitized

;

but one Defeat to our more

by Microsoft®

212

Enemy Ruins them

than Savage

soon learn to face them in the off

when we

we

deserve to be free

shall

forever

and the day

field,

produce a conviction



.we

.

;

is

shall

not far

World

to the

that

expect every hour to be Relieved

I

with orders to march to the Assistance of Gen'l Washington

;

I

have 1500 Hardy Veterans

and Revenge. ...

for Victory to

Death or "

'

to

left

who

Glory

Kiss

my

boy and

little

"

"That's "

He was

my

me

girl for '

push hard

will

hope soon

I

to lead

them



A. Wayne.'

"

boy Anthony over again," said Mrs. Reese.

never cast clown by

he never forgot them

;

failure,

and the

little

ones,

no indeed, he never did."

"Yes," replied Mrs. Wayne, "he always remembered each

member

letter.

of the family.

Just read what

is

Look

at the

closing of this

folded on the outside."

^ JHJ>~*. £^ ^J^f .1.JLX *~~-J#^ "T^L. v A*-..

d ^+^^^%^6^

Digitized

*~~*~^ .

by Microsoft®

213

"The June

7,

"'My Dear



Polly,

your bad state of health your

Wayne,

next letter," continued Mrs.

I

am

— you

spirits as well as possible

purchased

— the

be made

sacrifice to

must endeavor

— the

— the

the present leaders will live to see

rise in

America. ...

I

;

is

but a

— whether

trifling

any

of

established in this

it

depends on Heaven

soil

keep up

blood and treasure of

consideration for the rich inheritance

once happy

to

times require great

blessings of liberty cannot be

high a price

at too

extremely sorry to hear of

the choicest and best spirits of this land

one day

"is dated

1777.

but

it

must,

would advise you

it

will

to use

every possible endeavor to get in your harvest yourself

and not put will

out on shares on no acc't as grain and hay

it

Have we no The educagives me much

be at a prodigious price next winter.

kind neighbors to lend a helping hand tion of

my

little

children

concern and which already hinted that

I I

is

?

.

a matter that

hope you

'

God

Farewell, "

'

'

few weeks

later

have

his

Bless you,

Yours most "

"A

I

marked with



"



son will not turn

little

aside from virtue, though the path be father's blood

.

will not neglect

my

expect

.

sincerely,

Ant'y Wayne.'

Anthony was ordered

into Penn-

was very Waynesborough that time, hard for him not to get to but he wrote to me to meet him at Naamans Creek. Mr. Robinson went with me and the children. They were sylvania to meet the British at Brandywine.

It

'

'

w. and

b.



iQigitized

by Microsoft®

214 overjoyed to see their papa.

we saw him was written just

After that

His next important

several times.

letter

before the battle of Germantown.

'"Trappe, 30th "

'



Dear Polly,

being depressed at

enemys being

thought you had a mind far above

I

must leave

in the possession of the City of

— they may hold

'

for a time

it

— but

with circumstances of shame and disgrace

it

before the close of winter "

no more con-

in possession of Phila is of

or Boston

— the

unfavorable circumstance

'a little

sequence than their being

New York

Sept. 1777.

Our army

is

stronger than

it

now was



and

in full health at the

spirits,

and far

Brandywine

Battle of

— we

are daily receiving reinforcements, and are drawing near

enemy

the

— who

shortly

will

pay dear for the

advantage they have lately gained. ... next ent,

ing

— and — yet they

altho'

prospect

will

will

take

— Give

place

my

out the

shortly point

and happiness

is

our turn

gloomy at pressoon be dissipated and a more pleas-

appearances are a

little

my

kindest

wishes to both our mothers and sisters

sword

it

little

— kiss

our

little

way



tell

love

and

them

my

to victory

people for

me

peace

— Remove

books and valuable writings some distance from

— not already done — prudence — and not be considered

own home

this is

if

to

my

but an act of

as proceeding

from

any other motive " '

Adieu "

'

my Dear me

believe "

Girl and Yours

'most Sincerely " '

Digitized

by Microsoft®

Ant'y Wayne.'

215 " In less than a

after the battle of

week he wrote Germantown.

me

to

This was

again.

"'Camp near Pawling Mills



6th. of Oct. 1777.



"

Dear Polly, On the 4th. Instant at the dawn of day, we attacked General Howe's army at the upper end of Germantown The action soon became general when we advanced on the enemy with charged bayonets they '



broke

— —

once without waiting to receive us

at

— but

— when a heavy and well directed each side — The Enemy again gave

soon

formed again

fire

place on

way

took but

being supported by the Grenadiers returned to the charge

— Gen'l

Sullivan's Division

at this time

my

whilst

army

to

engaged

and Conway's Brigade were

to the right or

west of Germantown



Division had the whole right wing of the enemy's

encounter on the

or east of the

left

Town

— two

army being then too far to the east to afford us any assistance. However the unparalleled bravery of the troops surmounted every difficulty, and the enemy

thirds of our

— the fog together with

retreated in the utmost confusion

the smoke occasioned by our cannon and musketry



made

we had now pushed enemy near three miles and were in possession of their whole encampment when a large body of troops were it

almost as dark as night

.

.

.

the

advancing on our

discovered

taken for the enemy we retreated

— which

flank

left .

.

.

being

the fog and this

mistake prevented us from following a victory that in

human war.

probability

The

o'clock



I

would have put an end

battle continued

had forgotten Digitized

from daylight

to

to the

American

until

near twelve

my

roan horse

mention that

by Microsoft®

all

"

216

was

killed

front

me

under

— and

my

left

within a few yards of the enemy's foot a

little

bruised by one of their

cannon shot — but not so much as prevent me from the walking — my poor horse received one musket ball breast — and one the flank the same instant that scarcely had a touch on my hand — which worth mentioning — upon the whole was a glorious day — our men are the highest — and am confident to

in

in

I

at

slight

is

left

it

in

we is

spirits

them a

shall give

total defeat the

at

no great distance —

"

My

'

best love

and wishes "

'

I

next action

to all friends

Adieu

my Dear

Girl

"'Ant'y Wayne k to

*:

N. B.

market

have heard that you intended

I



I

which

;

would not have

it

to



send Rachel

done for one thousand

guineas.'

A GOOD MAN SUFFERS FOR HIS RELIGION.

MANY

Germans that came to Pennsylvania were opposed to war. They could not be true to their Pennsylvania was a Quaker religion and take up arms. colony, and in that peaceful land non-resisting Germans were glad

of the

to find a

home.

In religion, they were Quakers, Mennonites, and Breth-

The Brethren were called Dunkers. They came to Germantown first in 17 19. Among them was the famous

ren.

Christopher Saur, the great printer of the colony. son, also

named

His

Christopher, was born in Prussia, SeptemDigitized

by Microsoft®

217 ber 26, his

1

72 1,

came

America

to

in

was

1724,

men

chosen church, and one of the busiest

work at as many trades or occupations, and still find time preach, and travel. It is

a bishop of

said that he could

of his day.

as twenty-four to write,

and

In 1758 his father died, and the son took charge of his

Germantown.

father's business in

Here he managed a

printing establishment, a laboratory, a drug store, a book-

bindery, a paper mill, and other important businesses, and

became

quite rich.

When

the Revolutionary War broke out, Saur was a American patriot but he got into difficulty because he would not fight. He was falsely charged with being

true

;

The

a traitor and a foe to liberty.

seems his

to

have been a desire

real

purpose of this

to rob the pious old

man

of

money.

On

the night of

May

24,

1778, a party of soldiers of

Colonel McLean's company surrounded

the

old

man's

house, took him out of bed, and in his night clothes, bare-

headed and barefooted, started him on

his

way

to Valley

Forge. It is

a great pity that

not like their leader. for victory

and the

right,

wrong

all

Washington's soldiers were

While he prayed

some

of his

in secret to

God

men were commit-

and pure man. Saur was forced through stubble fields, and the tracks

ting this great

to a pious

of his shoeless feet could be traced

by

his blood.

he did not walk fast enough he was prodded with bayonets.

After a time

it

became

till

morning.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

back

so dark that the

and remain in Sebastian Here Saur was shamefully

soldiers decided to stop,

barn

When

in the

Miller's treated.

218

Washington praying

Part of his beard was cut

off,

at

Valley Forge.

and

his face

and remaining

beard were smeared with paint.

The next day was very

hot,

and

bleeding feet caused him great pain.

his bare

A

head and

friend on the

way, named Keyser, pitied him and gave him a pair of shoes, but a rough soldier soon took these

gave him instead a pair of

" old slabs "

from him and

that were worse

than none. In this wretched plight he reached Valley Forge, and was

One day Washington passed by. He Saur had done much printing for

held under arrest.

knew Saur very

well.

Washington, and loved the good general sincerely.

"Why, Mr. mander

Saur!

How

you do look!" said the com-

in chief.

"Just as your people made me," was the prompt reply. Digitized

by Microsoft®

;

;

219

At once inhuman

the great general, his heart touched by this

injury,

gave Mr. Saur an honorable release and

presented him with a suit of decent clothes.

But

He

was,

a rich man, noted for benevolence

and

was

his property

when

arrested,

good deeds.

When

all

he returned, he was a pauper.

even had to beg his enemies spectacles.

He his

from him.

stolen

This they

He

to allow him to retain his

finally did.

spent the remaining days of his earthly career with

devoted daughter near what

now Fairview

is

village,

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and preached almost to

the day of his death.

His body

rests in the

marks the

a plain gravestone

may

Methacton burying ground, and spot.

read these words, from Saur's

On

"Death, thou hast conquered me 'Twas by thy dart I'm slain But Christ shall conquer thee,

And "

I

this stone

own pen

:



one

;

shall rise again.

Time hastens on the hour, The just shall rise again

Oh Grave, where is Oh Death, where !

thy power

!

is

?

thy sting?"

oXXo

NARROW ESCAPE OF LIEUTENANT JUST

TILLY.

before Washington went into winter quarters at

Valley Forge, the army was encamped at Whitemarsh.

Many

of

the

officers

surrounding farmhouses. Digitized

The

were quartered old

by Microsoft®

at

the

Foulke mansion at

'

'

'

220 Penllyn resounded with the merriment of General Smallstaff and a bevy of Quaker maidens whose vivawas a continual surprise to these Southern " gallants." Sally Wistar, a bright young girl from Philadelphia, who was making the Foulke mansion her home during

wood's city

Howe's occupation Smallwood as "tall,

of

Philadelphia,

made;

portly, well

General

describes

a truly martial

air,

the behavior and manners of a gentleman, a good understanding, and great humanity of disposition."

young friend Liddy Foulke went into the parlor. "There was Major Stodard holding the candle for General Smallwood, who was reading a newspaper." In a few minutes the major set the candle down, and came to talk with these two Quaker maidens. Their talk is written out in Sally's journal, which was kept

One evening

for her friend "

'

Debby

Norris in Philadelphia.

Pray, ladies,' said the major,

book

that

Sally and her

'

are there any songs in

?

'

Yes, many.'

'

Can't you favor

me

No, major;

a borrowed book.'

'

'

:

'

'tis

with a sight of

Miss Sally, can't you sing

Thee

No.'

Liddy, saucy

denied

for

;

a raven. clever,

girl,

my

We

may be told

voice

is

not

I

told

could.

much

the truth

He

amiable, and polite.

He

there.

begged, and

I

better than the voice of

talked and laughed for an hour.

never pronounces the 'r' at

The

I

?

?

sure

him

it

He

is

has the softest voice,

all."

major, she says, had been at Philadelphia College,

was nineteen

years old,

and had a fortune

thousand pounds. Digitized

by Microsoft®

of

thirty

'

221 "

He

large in person, manly, and of

is

countenance and address.

much

.

He

.

an engaging

vastly bashful, so

is

so he can hardly look at the ladies.

nephew

the

.

.

.

He

.

is

General Smallwood, and acts as major

of

of brigade to him."

The major was

among

a favorite

the ladies at the man-

After being absent the larger part of November,

sion.

he returned early in December, weak and worn with

The kind

posure.

Note

him.

attentions he received

Sally's journal

:



" First day, morn.

"

"

'

"

'

"

'

" '

There

tripped into Aunt's.

I

more

How

like himself.

natural

it

I feel

quite recovered, Sally.' I

December

7th.

sat the major, rather

was

Good morning, Miss Sally.' Good morrow, major. How does Well,

ex-

revived

quite

him

to see

!

thee do to-day

?

fancy this indisposition has saved thy head

this time, major.'

" '

No, ma'am, for

them.' silk

That was

hear a

if I

heroic.

firing, I shall

and cotton gown. It awkwardish and prefer the

feel quite

Among

Foulke mansion was a

and

jokes.

The- Wistar journal above the

girlish dress."

who were boarding at the Mr. Tilly, who was made the butt

the various officers

of all their fun

ruddy

be soon with

About eleven I dressed myself, is made without an apron. I

common

face, hair

size,

calls

him "a wild noisy mortal,

rather genteel, an extremely pretty

brown, and a sufficiency of

it,

a very

great laugher, and talks so excessively fast that he often

begins a sentence without finishing the Digitized

by Microsoft®

last,

which con-

'

222

him very much, and then he blushes and laughs.

fuses

He

also a musician,

is

flute,

and has

it

— that

he plays on the German

is,

here."

Poor Tilly became more and more the object of

jest

and

ridicule.

"I flute,

am vexed

Miss Sally; "he has his

at Tilly," says

and does nothing but play the

tune, plays a note or so, then stops.

He

fool.

begins a

Well, after a while

he begins again, stops again. "

'

Will that do, Seaton

Hah

?

He has given us but two am passionately fond of

" I

haves!

Hah"!

!

Hah

'

!

regular tunes since he arrived.

How

music.

boyish he be-

"

It was not long before the young major and the lively Quaker maid plotted to scare Tilly. " I was darning an apron," says Sally, "upon which the

major was pleased to compliment me. '"Well, Miss Sally, what would

you do here "

the British were to

if

come

?

'

Do

exclaimed

!

'

ened just

I,

be fright-

'

He

to death.'

and said he would escape

laughed,

their rage

by getting behind the large picture of a British grenadier that

we had

upstairs.

"*Of

all

he

things,'

said,

should like to frighten Tilly with Pray, ladies, British Grenadier.

ber

let's fix

tO-ni£fht.'

Digitized

by Microsoft®

it

in his

'I it.

cham-

223 "

If thee will take all the blame,

'

'

That

I

And

he replied.

will,'

we

will assist thee.'

was the

this

plan.

We

had bought, some weeks ago, a British grenadier from Uncle Miles, on purpose to divert us. It is remarkably well executed, six feet high, and

makes

a martial appear-

This we agreed to stand at the door that opens

ance.

into the road (the house has four

rooms on a

floor,

wide entry running through) with another

would add

to the

behind

stand

offered.

.

.

One

deceit.

them,

others

with a

figure, that

our servants was to

of

were

to

serve

as occasion

.

" In the beginning of the evening

begged her

swords and

to secure the

their parlor,

and she went

I

went

pistols

to

Liddy and

which were

and brought her apron

in

in

full

of swords and pistols.

"When

We

girls

this

was done, Stodard joined the

went and stood

officers.

at the first landing of the stairs.

The gentlemen were seated in the parlor, merrily chatting on public affairs, when Seaton's negro opened the door, candle in hand, and said

' :

There's somebody at the door

that wishes to see you.' "

'

Who,

'"Yes, he said

all sir,'

of us

'

afterwards,

The

soldier.

any rebel

first

In a

said Tilly.

said the boy.

walked into the news.

?

almost

all

rose (the major, as

dying with

laughter),

first,

object that

struck view was a

here

his ears ? '

in a

and

in full expectation

entry, Tilly

moment

officers

They

were saluted.

'

thundering voice.

of

British

Are there Not wait-

ing for a second word, he darted like lightning out of the front door, through the yard, and bolted over the fence.

Swamps,

fences, thorn hedges, Digitized

and ploughed

by Microsoft®

fields

noway

224

He was

impeded his retreat. woods echoed with

'"Which way the house

!

'"

intending to

did he go?'

Lipscomb

make

also "

his escape,"

of the joke. " ' Go, call Tilly back,'

he

lose himself, indeed

had

down

meadows, creeks,

Why, what

it

was.

and mudholes.

painted wood.

a bit of

The

latch,

the major told him

'

He

will

will.'

the heel, hair

at

hand on the

his

when

" Figure to thyself this Tilly, of a hat, shoes

'Surround

'Stop him!'

said to the major.

I

The

soon out of hearing.

across

Flying from

what?

But he was ignorant

idea of being

engrossed his mind, and his

snowy evening, no

untied, flying

made

last resource

of

a prisoner wholly

was

to run."

oKXo

UNCLE JOHN'S LETTER TO HIS GRANDSON.

UNCLE

JOHN

had been a

soldier in the Revolution-

ary War, and some years after the surrender at Yorktown he removed to Ohio in company with several other While living there on land given him by the veterans.

government he wrote the following in Philadelphia

:



My dear Grandson For some months

letter to his

grandson

:

I

have been intending to answer

your questions about the Revolutionary War in PennsylWhy, child, if I once got started, there would be vania.

no ending. Digitized

by Microsoft®

225 I

was taken prisoner

remained

the

in

at the battle of

camp

British

until

Brandywine and

we reached

Phila-

delphia.

A

few days

remember hearing the officers laughing about the old man who kept the inn at Dilworthtown. It appears that some of the after the battle

I

English

younger

During

were loafing one day about the tavern.

officers

some one declared that Dilwas as raw and tasteless as the people.

their conversation

worthtown

ale

Everybody was so ignorant and

" It's

boorish.

a fine

country," said Aston, "but these people have no educa-

no culture."

tion,

Upon

this the innkeeper, after

having glanced out of

the window, suddenly grew angry, and, bringing his heavy fist

the bar with a bang, said, "

down on

pounds that the

I'll

farmer who drives past

first

can speak more languages than the whole

kit

wager ten this

house

and crew

of

you put together."

The

officers

thought that the old innkeeper had been

drinking too much, and here was a fine chance for a

"A bet

fun.

were forced

A bet

!

"

little

they shouted, and three of them

!

to join purses to

make up

the ten pounds.

In a surprisingly short time a plain, middle-aged Quaker

drove up to the horse trough.

and spoke

to

him

in

equally well spoken.

The

officers

French, and received a

went down civil

Then Furgesson rubbed up

answer his

bad

Spanish and asked the Quaker if he was a Frenchman. The farmer answered in very good Spanish that he was born

in

The

Chester County and had never been in France. officers

then held a council in order to rub up a

Latin quotation.

When

the

Digitized

Quaker

by Microsoft®

realized that he

was

226 trial, he gave the young Englishmen a perfect shower Greek as he climbed upon his saddle horse and drove away. Not one of the officers could speak a word of

on of

won his wager. remember occurred during I had winter we were encamped at Valley Forge. Greek, so the innkeeper

Another incident

I

well

cently escaped from the British,

Washington's Headquarters

the re-

and every other week

at

I

Valley Forge.

was on duty as guard at Washington's headquarters. I had the night watch and was posted sentinel at the front door of the stone house.

One

bitter cold

morning following the sharpest night

I

was standing on the doorstep, slapping my It was growing late in the morning, and the guard to relieve me had not arrived. Just then the door opened and out stepped his

ever knew,

hands

to

I

keep them from freezing.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

227 Excellency, General Washington.

near him before.

I

when he asked me

if

"

had never been so

I

stepped back and raised

my

hat,

late

this

the guard had changed.

No, your Excellency,"

I

said

;

" they are

morning."

"You must be cold, my poor man," he said. "Here, me your musket. I will relieve you. Now go in and

give tell I

Mrs. Washington to give you a good hot breakfast."

needed no second

had that morning,

Such an appetite

invitation.

eating a steaming breakfast, while that great outside guarding his

During sick

all

as

I

sitting in his Excellency's headquarters,

own house

He was

!

man

stood

a great man.

that dreary winter he never failed to visit the

who were

in the inns

Indeed, he rode around

and churches

among them

in the vicinity.

so regularly that

some Tories up on the ridge determined to betray him. Word was sent to the British, and a band of horsemen But Washington was there expecting to bag their fox. Some said it was good luck, but did not go out that day. I always thought the Lord had a hand in it. Ah, my boy, we have no more men like the great and good General Washington. Your devoted Grandfather.

ONE OF THE DOAN

DURING

the Revolutionary

War

BOYS. there were five or

named Doan in Bucks County. Their They were not daring made them famous.

six brothers

deeds of always law-abiding and good, but they were true friends Digitized

by Microsoft®

!

228

American liberty, and this story proves the bravery and goodness of one of them. While the British were in Philadelphia it was impossible for the poor families of the city to get enough to eat. of

One poor woman

in

the

city,

had no food

in

the house.

army

at

Valley

patriot

with

small children,

six

Her husband was

in

the

and her children were

Forge,

crying for bread.

The

nearest place at which to get flour was Bristol.

one was allowed

to pass the line of British

No

guards on Vine

Lord Howe. This the woman She was desperate. She tried to get, and was refused. slipped by the guards and reached Bristol, bought twenty pounds of flour, put it in a pillow case, and hurried homeStreet without a pass from

ward

to her

hungry

babies.

As she entered the woods man stepped from behind a her hand.

It

near Frankford, a tree

and placed a

How

was from her husband.

tall,

stout

letter in

gladly she

said, "

it Then the tall man Your husmadam, and requested me to say that in a short time he will be with you money is a scarce article among us, but on account of your husband's devotion to the cause of liberty, I am willing to become his banker." Then he gave her a piece of money and said, " Hark

opened and read

band

is

!

well,

;

take the road to the left

She turned

to

stood was vacant.

thank him, but the place where he had As she drew near to Vine Street, the

awful word " Halt " !

pass,

— farewell."

struck

her to the soul.

woman."

"I have none,

sir;

my

" Curse the rebel crew

children are !

Digitized

why



"

Your

"

do you breed enemies to

by Microsoft®

"

229

your king ?

A

This

flour is

mine



off,

woman, and

die with

!

your babes

groan was her only answer.

Then

the

stout

tall,

stranger boldly stepped forward and said, " Please give the " if

woman Fool

you "

her flour."

Idiot

!

Who

!

are you

?

See yonder guardhouse

May

be

so, sir

but won't you give the poor

;

woman

the means of supporting her starving ones a week longer

Remember how



and think " "

;

interfere here, that shall be your quarters."

"

Begone, you scoundrel, or

You

?

far she has walked, the weight of the bag,

I'll

seize

woman

won't give this poor

you as a spy

her flour

" !

" ?

"No."

"Then by my country's faith, and hopes of freedom, you shall " And with a powerful arm he seized the guard by the throat and hurled him to the ground. !

"

Run, madam, run;

your

flour,

see, the

guardhouse

The guard

tried to rise; the stranger

him dead.

"

guard

to

is alive;

Shoot him down

guard

!

pistol

Shoot him down

along the

all

drew a

line.

The

secure

'Twas done.

pass Vine Street, and you are safe."

" !

and shot

rang from

stranger sprang

upon his horse, concealed near by. There was only one hope of escape. He rushed for the Delaware River. Here fifty angry soldiers surrounded him. One sprang from behind a tree and exclaimed, " 'Tis useless to lie you ;

now our prisoner. Surrender." "Son of a slave! Slave of a king! How dare you to a Doan never Surrender yourself address a free man

are

!



surrendered to any man, far less to a blinded poltroon.

Away

or die!

"

w. and

B.

— Agnized by Microsoft®

230

The guard leveled his gun, but was himself leveled to The ball of Doan's pistol was swifter than his the dust. own. Doan's case was now desperate. He put the spurs to his trusty horse

shower

bullets

of

and plunged fell

He

about him.

A

the Delaware.

into

looked around.

Twenty armed boats were in full pursuit. It was a strugThe horse won. Doan reached the Jersey gle for life. shore, took his pistol, and, with steady aim, fired at the first

A

boat.

The

soldier fell headlong into the water.

rider then disappeared into the woods.

Doan boys had a new story to tell that night around the camp fire in the thick wilderness; and in her home a grateful mother prayed for an unknown friend

One

of the

and read again a loving dren had a

while her six happy

letter,

chil-

feast.

AFTER THE WYOMING MASSACRE.

VELL,

now.

veil,

poor beoples in Sit right

down,

me

motioned

who was

Wery

bad.

is

poy, and dell

kind Mr. Linderman, his door,

Dot

Wyoming

is kill't,

me

all

All de

bad.

or runnin' away.

aboud

it."

And

sitting

under a big tree by

The

boy, breathless and

to a chair.

weak, dropped down on the ground. " I've

mouthful "Veil,

been a-running ever since

last night,

and not a

to eat."

now.

veil,

Dot

dings right away soon.

Yankee poys

?

is

Were you

Ve me now

in

de fight

vays here mitoud nodings to eat Digitized

cooks you up some-

bad.

Dell

" ?

by Microsoft®

vere ?

is all

de brave

And come

all

de

231

"Yes

indeed, " It

Searles.

was

I

the fight," exclaimed

in

commenced yesterday

Roger

We

at four o'clock.

had about two hundred and seventy regular

and

soldiers

men and boys." Den you vas not surprised and all massacred, as dey told me dis mornin' " asked Linderman, with much seventy old "

?

eagerness. " No,"

"

answered Searles,

we knew

that they were

a-coming, but the Tories and Indians were too

We

us. I

were surrounded on

sides save

all

heard Westover ask George Cooper

run.

'

Hold

on,'

said Cooper,

'

if it

much

for

the river.

wasn't time to

have one more shot

I'll

Then Asahel Buck and I commenced to run. It who knew Buck, shouted to him, Stop, we won't hurt you.' Poor Buck stopped and turned around. In a minute a tomahawk was buried in his head.

first.'

wasn't long before a Tory, '

I

leaped into a clump of briers, and have"been running

The whole

ever since.

starving in the woods.

trying to lap up a

Mrs. Fish night.

I

is

to

'Is I

it

sitting

it.'

running away.

They're

Her baby

died last

on a stone, holding the baby

hungry?'

said

'No,' said she,

I.

in

'it is

can't leave the poor thing here for the wolves

devour or the Indians

bury

is

saw Mr. Cooper lying on his face meal which was spilt in the path.

a-coming behind me.

found her

her arms. a-dying.

little

valley I

to scalp,

and

I

have no way

to

So Mrs. Fish picked up the dead baby and ran She's carried it twenty miles. There

along behind me.

she comes over the

hill,

now."

Mein Gott " said Mr. Linderman, " It Mein Gott makes me mostd sick to hear of such dings. Ve are all wery poor, but if ve have anydings to eat, you shall have "

!

!

Digitized

by Microsoft®

232 it.

in

And

make a box for de orchard mit our own beoples." de baby,

I'll

and

it,

we'll

bury

it

That afternoon a solemn little funeral procession turned Linderman's orchard. The lengthening shadows

into Mr.

from the dark pine

The

forest fell across their path.

grief of poor Mrs. Fish

was equaled only by her

gratitude to the kind-hearted Germans.

Indeed, the

Germans received with open arms the hunwho fled from Wyoming,

dreds of unfortunate people

and gave them freely from their scanty

Mr. Hol-

stores.

lenback loaded his horse with bread, and, like a ministering angel, started to meet the terrified and starving people.

He

found a

woman

crying around her.

Hollenback's bread, they declared, was

of her husband.

the gift of

God

upon a log, with six children She had just heard of the death

sitting

in the wilderness.

He

gave them each a

small piece and hurried on to relieve others.

On in

one day the Tories and Indians wreaked vengeance

blood and sorrow on the

the next day the

Germans

of

men and women

to these broken-hearted people

until

Wyoming

England's cause

The blood lutionary

Wyoming;

mercy and kindness from Exaggerated

the depths of their hospitable hearts. ports of the

of

Northampton County extended re-

massacre swept through Europe in

the

colonies

was weakened.

Wyoming was a turning point in the RevoWar. And at the same time the open-handed of

hospitality of the

Germans served

Connecticut people on the sylvania.

Digitized

as a tie

Wyoming and

by Microsoft®

the

between the

men

of Penn-

LATER INCIDENTS. MANASSEH CUTLER

REV.

IN PHILADELPHIA.

REV. MANASSEH CUTLER He was

1787.

Congress a large tract of land

New York

came from Boston

in

trying to buy from the Continental in Ohio.

While waiting

in

for the commit-

tee of Congress to decide

on what terms he might have the land, Mr. Cutler decided to

visit

phia.

He

aware

at Trenton,

very

Philadel-

crossed the Del-

much

and was

interested

in

the famous forge and the

and

slitting

of

rolling

mill

Robert Morris located

there.

He

number

also speaks of a

of mills for grind-

ing and bolting

flour.

He

^m^^w^^uhm

called Mr. Morris the great

American financier. After leaving the ferry, the road, which was straight and level and free from sand and stones, led through a

deep forest for

Digitized by^SScrosoft®

five miles.

The

large

234

and maple trees greatly interested

oak, hickory, walnut, this

He saw

wide-awake Yankee.

in his life a

persimmon

tree.

sweet and agreeable to the ple

of

Bucks County

thought tasted

The

like

distilled

West

ripe fruit,

He

taste.

time

first

he says, was

found that the peo-

into a drink

it

which he

India rum.

was impressed with the

traveler

(poplar),

The

here for the

tall

tulip

trees

like

when

and wondered what they must look

He

in the full glory of their bloom.

looked with pleasure

upon the rich fertile farms and orchards. "In some places," .says Mr. Cutler, "I saw fields of corn, the rows of which I judged to be a mile in length.

The people do plow]

it

not hoe their corn at

The

both ways.

all,

but plow [shovel

farmer's houses are very neat,

but not large, generally two stories high, and sometimes three, logs,

universally painted.

and these are

Some

of

them

also painted [doubtless he

washed] and very handsome. formed and abound with

are built of

means

white-

Their gardens are well

flowers, as well as fruit trees

and

esculents. I saw but few laborers in their fields, for the wheat harvest was generally over. The numerous shocks of grain in the fields demonstrated the richness of the

The

face of the country

is

level

and the roads

soil.

fine.

At

almost every house the farmers and their wives are sitting in their cool entries, or

under the piazzas and shady trees

about their doors.

observed the

fine

Holland

I

men

generally wore

with the sleeves plaited, the

shirts,

women

in

and pleasures and abounding

clean, cool, white dresses, enjoying the ease

of domestic

life,

with few cares, less labor,

in plenty.''

That evening,

at

half past

Digitized

six,

Mr. Cutler arrived

by Microsoft®

in

235

Queen"

Philadelphia and went to the "Indian

which stood on Third nut streets.

Its

Street,

location,

tavern,

between Market and Chest-

Mr. Cutler says, was not far

from the center of the city. An active young colored man was selected by the host to look after Mr. Cutler's wants. He was neatly dressed in a blue coat " with sleeves and cape red," a buff waistcoat and breeches. The bosom of his shirt

was

ruffled,

and

his hair

was powdered.

He

car-

Mr. Cutler's baggage up to No. 9 then ran down and brought two of the latest London magazines and ried

;

placed them upon the table. No. 9 was in the third story and opened toward the east, presenting to Mr. Cutler a beautiful view across the Delaware and along the Jersey

The room

shore. table,

contained

"a

rich field bed,

and drawers, a large looking

bureau,

glass, neat chairs,

and

other furniture."

This knowing Yankee at once ordered call a barber,

his

and bring him a bowl of water

servant to

for washing,

to have tea on the table as soon as he was dressed. Yet so much time was taken, says Mr. Cutler, in " shifting my clothes, and getting from under the hands of the

and

barber, and taking tea " that that

night.

So

this

it

tireless

was too

late to take a

tourist

spent the evening

walk

who were then They were members of

talking with the other noted gentlemen

lodging at the "Indian Queen."

the convention which was at that time sitting at the State-

house for the purpose of forming the great federal Constitution.

That evening he met Elbridge Gerry and Mr. Gorham from Massachusetts, Mr. Madison and Mr. Mason from Virginia, Governor Martin and Hon. Hugh Williamson from Digitized

by Microsoft®

236

North Carolina, John Rutledge and Mr. Pickering from South Carolina, and Alexander Hamilton from New York. These gentlemen had a parlor to- themselves, where Mr.

They

Cutler was invited.

sat

and talked that night

until

half past one. " Philadelphia," says Mr. Cutler, in his journal, "is the

capital city in America.

river,

about 150 miles from the

with a good harbor, in which there

sea,

of large ships, besides

description.

It

and populous,

It is large, elegant,

Delaware

situated on the

number

a great

is

numerous smaller vessels

of every

contains 10,000 houses and covers twice

The

the quantity of ground to that of Boston.

State House,

Hospital, and most of the other public buildings are magnificent, in

the

but

city,

is

it

singular that there are only two steeples

where there are upwards

public worship.

.

.

.

The

of twenty houses for

streets of this City are at right

angles, the buildings on a straight line."

This was something quite

The

"

streets,"

new

he says,

tance of ten feet from the houses

range of posts are

this

to

Mr. Cutler.

" are well paved,

their

all

is

a

row

pumps.

tile,

at a dis-

and

The

.

.

ments between the posts and houses are stone or large

and

of posts,

laid

in

pave-

with free

and entirely smooth, which makes the

walking on them delightful. They are kept clean, being washed every day, and here all the foot passengers pass. While I was walking with Mr. Strong, I happened to step without the posts, and walked in the

me

to

come within the

tainly call

The

me

a

posts, for

New England

streets parallel with the

next the

river,

then

Fore

Digitized

street.

He

desired

he said they would

man,

if

I

walked

cer-

there.

Delaware, are Water Street, Street,

by Microsoft®

First

Street,

Second

237

and

Street,

on

so

to

Ninth Street, which

Mr. Cutler's

yet built upon."

visit to

is

the furthest

Philadelphia was

very short, but he saw and visited nearly every place and

person of note

During

in the city.

this visit a

committee

of the Continental Congress prepared the celebrated Ordi-

nance of 1787, for the government of the "Old Northwest." When Mr. Cutler returned to New York, he was with the ordinance, and purchased a tract of land

satisfied

in Ohio.

FRANKLIN ENTERTAINS MR. CUTLER. ;ANASSEH CUTLER

IW

Friday, July

13th,

journal

he

Street,

between Second

and Third

tells

1787.

In

Cutler's

Dr. Franklin

us that

streets.

met Dr. Franklin on

first

remarkable

Market

lived in

His

house stood up a courtyard

some

at

distance

from the street. "

We

garden,

found him sitting

in his

upon

a

grass plat under a very large mulberry tree, with several other gentlemen

and two or three

There was no

ladies.

curiosity in Philadelphia

anxious to see as this great man, of

Europe "

which

who has been

I

felt so

the wonder

as well as the glory of America.

But a man who stood Digitized

first in

the literary world, and

by Microsoft®

238

had spent

so

many

years in the courts of kings, particu-

larly in the refined court of France,

conceived would not

I

much

be of very easy access, and must certainly have the air of

must expect only

folks

to

him at a distance, and he might please to ask. In

gaze

answer such questions as

when

short,

I

at

entered his house,

be introduced

to the

But how were

my

trunched old man,

of

Common

grandeur and majesty about him.

I felt

as

if

I

was going

to

presence of an European monarch.

when

ideas changed,

Quaker

in a plain

saw a

I

short, fat,

dress, bald pate,

and

short white locks, sitting without his hat under the tree

and as Mr. Gerry introduced me, [Franklin] rose from took

chair,

me by

welcomed me

;

his

the hand, expressed his joy to see me,

to the city,

and begged me

to seat

myself

close to him. "

His voice was low, but

pleasing.

He

mings, for he

instantly

is

countenance open, frank and

his

reminded

me

superiority about him.

I

delivered to him

he had read them, he took

me

men

of the

tion,

The a

me

company, who were most

Here we entered

to the

was spread under the

company.

After

of

lives

She had three

them members

of

into a free conversauntil

tree,

very gross and rather homely lady,

daughter of the Doctor and

my letters.

to the other gentle-

and spent our time most agreeably tea table

Cum-

again by the hand, and with

the usual compliments, introduced

the Convention.

of old Captain

nearly of his pitch, and no more the air of

it

was

dark.

and Mrs. Bache,

who

is

the only

with him, served

it

out

of her children about her,

whom she seems to have no kind of command, but who appear to be excessively fond of their Grandpapa." The doctor then showed Mr. Cutler a curious specimen over

Digitized

by Microsoft®

239 a double-headed snake.

of

he

Traveling,

said,

when

serious undertaking for the poor thing,

was a

the heads

chose different sides of a bush and neither one would

way

consent to go back or give

he

This,

said,

to the other.

reminded him of an incident "which

occurred that day in the Convention, in consequence of his

comparing the snake

America."

to

But the doctor's friends hastened Convention matters were

all

remind him that

to

Mr. Cutler failed

secret, so

to hear the story.

"After

was dark we went

it

me

Doctor invited study.

The

It

books

;

a very large

is

walls

covered

are

house and the

into the

which

into his library,

likewise his

is

chamber and high studded. bookshelves

with

besides there are four large

two thirds of the length

of the

same manner.

this is the largest,

I

presume

chamber,

the best private library in America. us his long artificial

.

arm and hand,

.

with

filled

extending

alcoves,

filled

in the

and by

He showed

.

for taking

.

far .

putting books up on high shelves, which are out of reach

and

placed over flies, etc.,

sits

rockers,

with which he fans himself, keeps off the

it,

;

;

and a large fan

with only a small motion of the

reading

all his

"

armed chair with

his great

.

down and

and many other

curiosities

foot,

while he

and inventions,

own, but of lesser note.

Over

his manteltree he has a prodigious

medals, busts,

and casts

which are the

effigies

of

in

wax

or

plaster

number of

of

Paris,

the most noted characters in

Europe. ... I was highly delighted with the extensive knowledge he appeared to have of every subject, the brightness of his memory, and the clearness and vivacity Digitized

by Microsoft®

240 of

all

his

mental

Notwithstanding his age

faculties.

manners are perfectly easy, and everything about him seems to diffuse an unrestrained freedom and happiness. He has an incessant vein of humor, accompanied with an uncommon vivacity, which seems

(eighty-four), his

as natural and involuntary as his breathing.

me

to call

admit.

on him again, but

We

my

He

urged

short stay would not

took leave at ten and

I

returned to

my

lodgings."

GRAYS FERRY

INN.

"/^\H, mother are we really going ? To-morrow ? Will v./ Uncle John go too ? Will we drive two horses ? And little Debby Wilson Will we stay to dinner " !

?

danced around her mother "Yes,

my

in a perfect ecstasy of delight.

dear," said her mother,

"we

are going to take

Your

breakfast at Grays Ferry Inn to-morrow morning.

Uncle John has to see the

just returned

changes

at the

from England, and he wants

Ferry."

The next morning, when they drove up

to the floating

bridge which crossed the Schuylkill at that place, cried out, " Oh, mother, this thing shakes will

break in

the middle, and

we'll

;

Debby

I'm afraid

it

be pitched into the

river."

"Be

quiet,

child," said

the mother.

"It can't

sink.

Four-horse wagons cross here."

"Is that the place,

mamma?"

shouted Debby.

"Will

we eat breakfast here ? Oh, I'm so hungry," and little Debby sprang out of the carriage, and ran up a flight of Digitized

by Microsoft®

241 steps cut out of the solid rock at the east end of the

house. " Isn't that a

high on the

Are we going Oh, see the

mamma

funny house,

street,

and up here

it is

?

It is

three stories

only two rooms high.

to eat breakfast in this great big piazza?

river,

mamma

See

!

into the sunrise land.

The

getting up, can they,

mamma

it

winding away

off

mists can't keep the sun from ?

Grays Ferry Bridge.

"

Look back

this other

way,

mamma.

See the beautiful

green grass up here, and those winding paths.

want "

to

Where do they go

run around them.

Oh

!

I

" ?

Oh, Debby, do be quiet for a minute, and eat your

breakfast," said

her mother.

yonder, Debby.

See that big

"

Look down

man

the road

riding a white horse.

That's the great General Washington." " I've been in Uncle John. Europe for twenty years and never saw the like of that " Well, well, well," said

in all

my

life." Digitized

by Microsoft®

"

242 "

The like of what "Why, in Europe,"

?

"

asked Mrs. Wilson.

said

Uncle John, "a great man

like

your General Washington would never be seen out riding without

Look

fifty

at

him now, riding

And

rear.

doubt,

hundred armed

or a

he

alone, with only a servant in the

president of the convention which, no

is

making

is

around him.

soldiers all

a

[1787]

government

for

what

in

a

hundred years will be one of the greatest countries in the world." "

Oh,

mamma

"

cried

!

Debby,

"

mayn't

I

run down

green stone path to that beautiful summerhouse "

When was this

recently,"

"Just

Vaughan, fix

Sr.,

Mrs.

said

?

"

asked Uncle John.

Wilson.

"Mr.

Samuel

urged the owner as soon as he bought

it

to

Vaughan has planned it all and sent to is now here at work every men. Come, let us follow Debby I want

Mr.

up.

it

place improved so

this

?

England for a gardener, who day with ten

;

to show you the orange trees, and the large greenhouses where they put them in the winter time. They also have lemons and pineapples in fruit and blossom at the same

time. "

Come

my

child

here, ;

Look down

Debby.

see

the delightful

in that little valley,

shade hiding that

little

rippling brook." " It's

playing

hide-and-seek with

mamma

?

river.

Oh, see the bridges,

Then

it

other, they look so " That's

work

how

Chinese

in the rails

will

the

rocks,

isn't

it,

run away and hide in the big

mamma, one beyond

the

funny!" style,

daughter.

on the sides

is

See how the open-

variously painted.

See

the wild flowers are growing so artlessly on each Digitized

by Microsoft®

243

looks like a hermitage.

down and

sit

Here

winding path.

side of this

that

an old stone building

is

Uncle John and

I

will

Debby, while you may run around

rest,

and

play, and see what you and not get lost."

Debby needed no second

can.

Be

sure to

come back,

She saw beds of flowers and groves of blooming shrubs. She found a great rock near the river all surrounded with spruce and

On

cedar trees.

invitation.

top of this rock she found a summer-

house, from which she could catch glimpses of the river

between the

She found a grove of walnuts, Along the side of the hill were huckleberry and blueberry bushes, and further down, raspberries and blackberries. In the clear space on top oaks,

and

leaves.

pines.

of this hill

were many long tables and benches.

Debby

wondered how many hundred people could eat here at one time. Then she climbed up on a very long table, from which she could see the Schuylkill River for miles. After a long, happy morning, little Debby wandered back

to the

hermitage, where she

lay, in

her mother's

Uncle John telling about how the England lived and played.

lap, listening to

children in

little

°x«°

TOM THE TINKER. government under the Constitution was THE the begun when power was put to

its

iar

way.

The United

scarcely

test in a pecul-

States excise law of March, 1791,

placed a tax of seven cents on every gallon of whisky Digitized

by Microsoft®

244 distilled

in

the

This was part of Alexander

country.

Hamilton's plan to pay the

Nobody ought

debt

have objected

to

70,000 people in the western counties of

were especially affected by This

object.

He saw

that

greatly

the

it,

disturbed

refusal

to

new

the

of

nation.

but almost

the tax;

to

Pennsylvania

and many of them did President Washington.

pay the tax meant open

The

defiance of the laws of the land.

strength of the

Constitution was to be tested,

and Washington

decided

promptly that

this tax

should be

lected,

col-

even at the cost

of bloodshed.

Why should the sturdy Scotch-Irish

gheny,

of

Alle-

Fayette,

West-

moreland,

and

Washington,

Bedford

defy the law

same Alexander Hamilton.

many

a hard

lowed

counties

These

?

had Washington

people

fol-

in

march and had, through the whole Revolu-

tionary struggle, proved themselves true patriots. lived west of the

Alleghany Mountains.

They

No good

roads

had yet been opened

to the east, and the Indians and Spanish had closed the great waterway formed by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The people of western

Pennsylvania had no market for their grain; but whisky

found a ready

sale.

A

horse could carry two kegs, con-

taining eight gallons each, across the mountains. Digitized

by Microsoft®

It

was

245

worth one dollar a gallon

in

the east.

Returning, the

farmer's horse could carry iron, costing sixteen or twenty

pound and salt, costing five dollars a bushel. To make whisky became a common thing, and a still was a part of the property of every farmer. Whisky was A tax on it was a loss to these the money of the people. farmers. Then, too, the objection to the tax became more serious when it was known that those refusing to pay the tax were to be arrested, and tried in a federal court at Philadelphia, three hundred and fifty miles away. Had the state court been allowed to try these cases, as it was later on, perhaps the Whisky Insurrection would never

cents a

;

have occurred. Opposition to the payment of the tax began to show itself

in riots.

At

Carlisle

a

crowd

of

Bedford County

"whisky boys" burned in effigy the Chief Justice, and set liberty pole on which were the words, " LIBERTY AND NO EXCISE, O WHISKY!" President Wash-

up a

ington called for troops to enforce the law. the

"whisky boys."

Tom

the

This angered

Tinker (John Holcroft)

inflamed the lawless spirit of the people by writing sharp

and defiant

articles against the

law and the army.

These

" half the trees in

Western were printed as handbills, and Pennsylvania," says Dr. McMaster, "were whitened with

Tom

the Tinker's notices."

collect the tax

were roughly

the tax were visited

man who

rented his

The

officers that

were sent

treated, the farmers

who

to

paid

by masked men and beaten, and a house to a collector was visited at

midnight by a crowd of blackened and disguised men, seized, carried to the woods, shorn of his hair, tarred, feathered, and tied to a tree. w. and

B.



lEHgitized

by Microsoft®

— 246

Twelve thousand nine hundred and fifty soldiers were soon marching across the mountains. Daniel Morgan, who charged the rocky defenses of Quebec and won the battle of the Cowpens, led the brave Virginians. Governor Howell, of

New Jersey, marched

loyal

at the

head

of the Jersey Blues.

A

Congressman from Baltimore, John Eager Howard,

commanded

the sons of

Maryland, and Governor Mifflin

of

the

was

chief

Keystone boys.

Henry

Governor of

the

Virginia,

mander

in

Lee,

was com-

The

chief.

President and Secretary

Hamilton the

army

also

Many

Bedford. of

the

went with

to Carlisle

side to the

Western

games by the boom Hessian musketry.

from

posted such notices from ing

by

young men

their

cannon and the

of British

On

with

side

who had been

Expedition.

heroes

Revolutionary

War marched Farewell previous

and

scared

boyhood rattle of

the trees of the mountain were

Tom

the Tinker as the follow-

:

" Brother,

you must not think

to frighten us with fine

and artillery, composed watermelon armies, taken from the Jersey shores. They would cut a much better figure in warring with arranged

bits of infantry, cavalry

of your

crabs and oysters about the banks of the Delaware. Digitized

by Microsoft®

It

247 is

a

common

thing for Indians to fight your best armies

the proportion of one to five hesitate to attack this

Young

army

we would not

therefore,

;

in

one to ten."

at the rate of

John Shippen riddled these notices and pushed on to the west. This John

soldiers like

with bullets

Shippen was a son of Colonel Joseph Shippen, who on Plumley Farm, Westtown Township, Chester

lived

County.

His uncle, Edward Shippen, was Chief Justice

of Pennsylvania,

and the father

Miss Peggy, the wife of

of

From one of young Shippen's Plumley we can learn something

Benedict Arnold.

letters

to his father at

of the

army



:

"October "

My "

dear Father

am now

I

my

seated in our tent, while two or three of

comrades are finishing late,

31st, 1794.

:

their suppers,

comprised of choco-

bread and butter, and the remnants of a tough old

chicken. little

I

by way

have,

of table, placed on

provision box which had the

pieces

by the upsetting

thanking you,

sir,

And

just in this place, for

which serves

"Things little

me

me

your

are most amazingly dear.

conscience as to

loaf,

your thoughtful-

demand o,d.

2s.

and

3s.

I

so

9d. for a

saw bread, a

3d., sold for is.

and ten hours

Digitized

.

for a dozen of washing, count-

worth

six, eight,

.

.

Some have had

4d.,

marches are excessively slow and tiresome. on our horses

green waxen

little

ing a pair of stockings as two pieces.

heavy rye

cannot help

I

as a light on this occasion.

quart of whisky, 6s. and

small,

lap a

fortune to be broken to

ill

wagon.

of a

ness and kindness in sending taper,

my

board that was yesterday morning the cover of a

by Microsoft®

io^d.

We

Our

have

at a time,

and

sat in

248

One

the rain.

and

tents,

" It

I

we

night

on straw

slept

believe not a single soldier

at the fire, without

was injured by

it.

surprising and laughable that in this country

is

everybody

tells

you they were forced by threats

to go to

such and such a place, and they talk violently against

Tom

Tinker's

men

name

(for that is the

of the whisky

boys now), and when you ask them, where are the persons that threatened them, they say, "

am

I

told that a

man by

'

Oh

the

!

they are run

name

off.'

of Hamilton, in

Washington County, was informed on. A number of troops were set to guard the house, and if he came out and attempted to escape, the orders were to shoot him. In the mean time, the cunning rogue was busy changing his dress for that of

a servant in his family.

walked out carelessly and spoke answered

cers,

and

to the soldiers

Then he and

offi-

their questions about Hamilton, passed on

fled.

" I think I

never saw two more beautiful Monongahela and the Allegheny."

When power

the

of the

rivers than the

army had reached Pittsburg and the government was fully realized, these

Scotch-Irish submitted to the law, paid the tax, first

effort to defy the

ment was

at

Insurrection after

more

power

of the

strong sturdy

and the

United States govern-

The army returned. The Whisky was suppressed. The Constitution was therean end.

fully

honored than before.

It

was not

until

the days of Jackson that the Constitution again met opposition.

This Jackson quelled, and later on Lincoln and the

brave boys in blue defeated a

final

the great Constitution. Digitized

by Microsoft®

attempt to overthrow

249

CHARLES BAPTISTE ARIEL, OR "OLD FRENCH CHARLEY." was

IT

to the

There game was abundant, and the

came. bustle

five

and

Charley had been told of Scott, the great

who had

day, and

stir

sawmills, bark mills, and tanneries were not

of

yet heard. hunter,

county of Lackawanna that French Charley

was

deer,

killed

five

three wolves, and numerous wild

bears,

turkeys in one year. Charley.

"

and dressed eleven deer in one hundred and seventy-

said to have shot one

"That's the country for me," said

The ax and

hunting grounds.

I'll

go

the buzz mills are spoiling our

Lackawanna, where old Scott the Wyoming any more."

to

There's no game in For these reasons old Charley came

lived.

to

the Drinker

known as " Drinkers Beech," now called Covington, in Lackawanna County. This was the region purchased from the state by Henry Drinker in 179 1. It

settlement,

contained 25,000 acres of wild, unsettled land on the

head waters of the Lehigh and De Longs Creek. It was located in what are now Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Lackawanna counties. The next year John De Long was hired to cut a road into the

unknown

country.

This road

passed the romantic Lake Henry, and ended in a branch of the

Lehigh known

Meadow

as Bell

Brook.

For nearly thirty years nothing more was done, and the "Drinker Road" grew wild and narrow, until it served only as a path for the panther. this

road was reopened, the

1792,"

was found, cut

in the

Digitized

When, name of

in the fall of 1821,

"

Henry Drinker,

bark of an old beech

by Microsoft®

tree.

250

Here

was, a few years

it

He

came.

later,

He

cascades that fed the Lehigh. of

He

scenes of his youth.

loved the solitude

Here he could revive

great heech forest.

the

French Charley

that old

caught the largest trout which leaped the wild

the

could call the owls from their

shadowy retreats deep in the woods. He could imitate the mate call of every game bird in the country. The wild turkey came, a willing victim, within the range of his

unerring

rifle.

and build

his

He

loved to go far back into the forest

camp

and sleep on a

fire

pile of

fragrant

hemlock boughs. Charley never wearied of

telling

about his exploits when

Wayne

he served as a runner for General

war

in

the Northwest, or

when he was

in the Indian

a boatman on

Canadian waters, which business he followed for many years.

Charley had not been working for Mr. Drinker very

men said that there was something strange They complained that he disturbed their rest

long before the

about him. in the

camp

in his sleep.

or cabin at night.

He would

groan and talk

Sometimes he would leap suddenly out

of

bed, and walk hurriedly to and fro, muttering something in If

an unknown tongue, while

his voice

was weird and

low.

any one asked him what was the matter, he always

replied,

"

Oh, nothing

They never could questioned about that he

was sorry

it

if

;

I

must have been dreaming.''

get him to say more than

in the

this.

he had disturbed any one.

The men

complained so much about being aroused from their that Richard Drinker (son

and heir

of

by Microsoft®

sleep,

Henry) determined

to learn the cause of such strange conduct. Digitized

If

morning, he would merely reply

251

Once, in a private interview, old French Charley made the following confession.

When

he was quite a young

man

his great

love for

hunting and trapping led him to enjoy the Indian

wigwam

more than the homes of the French Canadians. He was soon adopted into the tribe of the Mes'-sa-sawgu'-es Indians.

And

according to the custom of this

tribe,

the chief gave Charley an Indian brother, with the under-

standing that whichever one died

go

his property should

first,

to the surviving brother.

Charles Baptiste Ariel was a better trapper than his

Indian brother.

He

soon had so

many

rich furs to sell

became the happy owner of a fine new rifle, and handsome young horse with saddle and bridle. He looked with The Indian brother grew jealous. Nolonging eyes upon the wealth of the Frenchman. body knew his secret thoughts while he sat by the camp that he of a

He

One day he proposed that they take a long journey into the Wabash country to hunt for wild turkeys. Innocent Ariel knew nothing of the dark fire.

treated Charley well.

purpose in the Indian's heart, and readily agreed

The

to go.

old chief gave his consent with great reluctance.

Ariel wished to try his journey.

The

fifth

day

new

rifle

and was eager for the

after starting

The two men shot a when they built their camp fire.

ing turkeys. tired

was spent

in hunt-

few, and were very Its blaze

lit

up the

dark shadows of the deep untrodden wilderness which then bordered the Wabash.

Here they cooked a turkey and

Then

like

two Indians they

ate a hearty supper.

sat in silence

flames leaping higher into the darkness as Digitized

by Microsoft®

watching the if

they were

252 the sparks which

trying to catch

disappeared into the

overhanging hemlock boughs. Ariel soon

He

and the

saddle.

make up

The Indian

fell asleep.

silence.

thought of the new

He drew

mind

his

rifle,

glared upon him in the horse, the bridle,

his long knife, but could not

man, whose head

to strike the white

was leaning against a small stump. He put the knife back into its leather case, and sat a long time in silence. The fire burned down to a few coals. The Indian arose and went toward the river. His tread was as noiseless as that

of

After going a few rods he

wild turkey.

the

squatted near the end of an old log. face was in full shone upon it.

The Indian primed of the horse flint

his

flint,

and the new

snapped.

His white brother's

view, as the light of the dying embers

A

rifle,

and, filled with the thought

took deliberate aim.

second time the

Indian turned to prime

it

flint

for a third

snapped.

The The

trial.

Meanwhile Ariel was dreaming. He thought that he was hunting wild turkeys. It took him a long time to call

At

a fine old gobbler within range.

the noble bird

gun,

and

snapped.

for

At

was within the

first

this the

rifle

time

last

it

he succeeded, and

He

shot.

missed

raised his

new

The

flint

fire.

turkey gave his well-known cry of

alarm, and stretching out his long neck, ran a short distance, then stood

still,

listening, in

order to locate the

danger.

Charley examined his lock, and found to his surprise that there

was no

capture the bird. his

bullet

flint in

He

pouch and

There was

it.

still

a chance to

cautiously took another fixed

Digitized

it

for

by Microsoft®

flint

a second shot.

from

The

253

turkey was standing less than a hundred yards distant.

He drew

A

a fine and steady sight.

second time his

rifle

snapped, and so loudly this time that he awoke.

He saw the flickering embers of the dying fire. where was his Indian brother? From toward the bank he distinctly heard the well-known click of a

river

His dream was not

real-

stump and later

all

He

ized his danger.

Quick as a

a dream.

But

rifle.

he

flash

instantly threw his blanket on the

silently disappeared

behind a

A

log.

moment

he peered from his hiding place, and there was his

Indian brother priming his

The savage turned and

flint for

a third attempt.

raised his gun,

when

lo

!

there

was no Charley under the cloak. His keen eye glanced along the shadow-hung logs, when to his hor-

in surprise

saw the

ror he

barrel of Charley's

rifle

within ten rods of

him, and Charley's finger on the fatal trigger.

The Indian

fell

on

his

Charley

said, " I believe

and

snap as

I

if

In a

moment

many

But

you snapped three times

me,

at

times at you, you shall go clear."

Indian was

the

what an awful thing

He

knees and begged for mercy.

it is

dead.

to destroy

now

Charley

felt

life.

carefully buried the Indian, his gun,

and

all

his be-

With a heavy heart he hurried home. The Charley chief asked him where he left his brother. The old chief said, "On the Wabash, hunting turkeys." grunted and said, " Indian was a bad man." longings.

No

questions were ever asked after that.

old and

came

to

Lackawanna, but

the burden of guilt.

dreams

I

Charley grew

his heart

To Mr. Drinker he

still

said,

carried " In

always see that poor Indian begging for

life." Digitized

by Microsoft®

my his-

;

254

THE OLD "

We

PIKE.

hear no more of the clanging hoof,

And

the stagecoach, rattling by For the steam king rules the traveled world, And the Old Pike's left to die." ;

" It

age

;

is

a

monument

but like

ments

it

is

all

of a past

other monu-

interesting as well

as venerable.

It carried

thou-

sands of population and millions of wealth into the

West

and more than any other matestructure in the land, served

rial

to if

An Old

MY

harmonize and strengthen, not to save, the Union."

— Hon.

Stagecoach.

friend, let

me

James Veech.

take you by the hand and lead you

As we walk we

back through time.

shall see the

telegraph wires fade, the roar of the trolley will cease, and the mighty rush of the engine will melt into silence. are back in the

good old days

only sound that

rolls

of the " Pike boys,"

through the valleys and echoes on

the hillsides of southwestern Pennsylvania

confused of life

We

and the

calls rising into

on the great National Road

This great road, the

is

the chorus of

music above the ceaseless sweep

first

— called the Old Pike.

highway over the Alleghany

Mountains, was built by the government, and extended

from Cumberland, Maryland, Let us

call to

to

Wheeling on the Ohio.

our side Hon. T. B. Searight, whose charm-

ing book on The Old Pike proves that he

be our guide.

We

will stand in the Digitized

by Microsoft®

is

best fitted to

shadows of the great

;

255 trees along this great lane of

life,

and learn some of

its

history.

was

It

first

used in 1818, and until the iron horse crossed

the mountains, in 1854,

was the greatest route of travel in America. Look, here they come A long line of Conestoga wagons. See their broad wheels, their canvas-covered tops, and their great loads of merchandise. Each one is drawn by six heavy horses. Hear the crack of the driver's it

!

long whip.

What

a line

Over twenty

!

of

them sweep

Conestoga Wagon.

around a curve

down by the stone tavern, on As many more are moving east.

in the road,

toward the sunset.

There comes the swaying, rushing passenger coach yonder comes the mail coach, and here like a flash goes the fleet-footed pony express.

Now

a jockey from Ken-

tucky passes with a hundred handsome

many

rests rolls

as

mischievous mules.

There cattle

horses and

floats a cloud of dust in

and

a flock of sheep.

an army of hogs, and above the music of the

moving

Digitized

which

Near

is

by, in a

all this

multitude.

by Microsoft®

a great herd of

muddy

stream,

medley of motion

256

The Black Eagle

Strangest of

women, pulling

negro ter

tied

here comes a long line of

all,

two by two

my

Nothing,

?

slaves, tied like

from the South

And

sold.

to a thick rope.

friend

of Pennsylvania.

they are

;

men and

What are they human beings,

dogs and driven by a merciless mas-

to the

market block

was only

this

Inn.

in

Kentucky

to be

sixty years ago, in the free state

Let us thank God that Abraham Lin-

coln and the brave boys in blue swept such scenes forever

from American

Over son,

soil.

this great road, as passengers,

went Andrew Jack-

William Henry Harrison, John O. Adams, General

Lafayette,

Henry

Clay,

Zachary Taylor, General Digitized

Tom

Corwin,

Scott,

James K. Polk,

General Butler,

by Microsoft®

Davy

257 Crockett, J.

W.

James G.

Blaine, P. T.

Crittenden, and

pages of our

many

others

Barnum, Jenny Lind, whose names call up

history.

Stand back

There comes Sam

!

Sibley, a

In his coach rides the great Henry Clay.

famous

driver.

The coach

stops

Uniontown, and Henry Clay dines at the McClelland House then whirls away with a rush for Washington. Hark! There's a crash, a cloud of dust, a rush of citiHis team zens the proud driver, for once, was careless.

in

;

;

dashed over a

was

pile of limestone in the street,

The

upset.

broken nose, and Mr. Clay

A

coach. hurt,

and

" This

is

and the coach

driver creeps from the wreck, with a is

lying under the upturned

hundred hands hurry

as he brushes the dust

He

to free him.

from

un-

is

his clothes, he says,

mixing the Clay of Kentucky with the limestone

of Pennsylvania."

Yonder is a narrow place in the road. Old Breakiron's Each team is moving one way, Puffenberger's the other. " What's demands of the other to turn out. Each refuses. your name "

?

" said Puffenberger, angrily.

My name

is

Bre.akiron,"

was the answer.

"That," said Old Puff, "is a hard name, but you look harder than your name." " I is

am

as hard as

your name

my

name," said Breakiron,

"

and what

"

*

?

" Puffenberger,"

was the

reply.

"That," said Breakiron, "is a windy name." "Yes," said Old so the useless

war

Here comes

Puff,

of

"but there's thunder

words went

Jesse J. Peirsol.

And

on.

He

can

tell

on Nigger Mountain at the Sheet's Tavern. Digitized

in it."

by Microsoft®

of a night

Thirty

six-

258 horse teams were in the in

a near-by

cattle

from

lot,

wagon

yard, one hundred mules

one thousand hogs in another, as

Illinois in a field,

many fat

and the tavern was crowded

To

with teamsters and drovers.

hear the grunts of the

hogs, the braying of the mules, the bellowing of the cattle,

and the crunching beyond a dream.

of the corn

by the horses, was music

On

Notice that fine mail coach.

its

gilded sides, as

it

rolls swiftly by, you see the picture of a postboy, with

flying horse "

and horn, and

He

In

its

Tom

:



nations lumbering at his back."

among

plush seats,

soft silk

He was

all

once a wagoner on

campaign cry that made him Governor rah for

words

comes, the herald of a noisy world,

News from

Corwin.

in gilt letters these

others,

sits

of

Tom

and the

this pike,

Ohio was,

"

Hur-

Corwin, the wagoner boy."

In 1846, the message came from Washington that President Polk had

Redding Bunting took two o'clock

in

war against Mexico. message in Cumberland at

officially -declared

this

the morning and drove with

it

over the

mountains, across the stone bridges, through the valleys,

by a hundred taverns and a score it

in

Wheeling

at

two o'clock

and thirty-one miles

p.m.

of villages,

He

and delivered

drove one hundred

in twelve hours.

Yonder goes Daniel Leggett, a famous old coacher. He drove the coach from Wheeling to Washington in which rode the famous chief, Black

Hawk.

In Washington,

the harness broke, Leggett was thrown from the driver's box,

and the team dashed madly through the town.

a turn in the street the coach upset. Digitized

by Microsoft®

The

first

At

one to

!

259 creep out of the wreck was Black

He

Hawk.

stood up-

right in the street, a single drop of blood on his brow, and

showed

his

anger and surprise by uttering, "

Ugh!" And there fly at

showman,

!

Ugh

goes the sprightly team of William Shaffer.

His long whip cracks fire

Ugh

and

like a pistol,

He

every leap.

his

team makes the

carries in his coach the great

T. Barnum, and Jenny Lind, the sweetest

P.

singer that ever paid the fare, $ 17.25, to ride in a Stock-

ton Line coach from Wheeling to Baltimore.

over night at Boss Rush's tavern.

A

They

stop

crowd gathers

to

As the coach rolled in, a curious native asked: "Which is Barnum?" Shaffer said gruffly, "I don't know Barnum from the devil." Barnum heard this as he stepped out, and said in reply, " The driver is right; it is hard to distinguish me from the devil." see the noted travelers.

Jenny Lind had fine fresh on to Cumberland.

trout for breakfast,

and hur-

ried

There goes John Buck, a noted driver. He drove LaWashington in 1825, and always thought some of the mighty cheers that rolled

fayette over this old pike to

along the road with his coach were meant for him as

much

Frenchman.

as for the great

Here of the "

rolls

along in steady sweep the handsome coach

Good

Intent "

drop of whisky. "

Hear

Our horses

No

all

belongs to General N. P. drivers will not touch a

his drivers sing

are true

and coaches

upsets or runaways

Nor drunken For

It

his

line.

Talmadge, and he and

it's

Digitized

all

fine,

;

drivers to swear

cold water



:

and

the days.

by Microsoft®

curse,

"

;

260 Chorus. " For our agents and drivers

Are

all fully

bent,

To go for cold water On line Good Intent Sing, go it, my hearties, Cold water for me."

The "Good Intent" Coach (from The Old

Pike).

was a great day for Uniontown, when, in May, 1837, John Quincy Adams, on his way from Cincinnati, was welcomed by all the people. Hon. Hugh Campbell gave a fine address, and as we listen to his noble words let It

us return to the lessons of to-day with a strong desire to

know more, of

in the years to

come, of this great highway

America. Digitized

by Microsoft®

26l "

We

upon the Cumberland Road, which has broken down the great wall of the Appalachian Mounstand here,

sir,

This road, we

tains.

trust,

constitutes an indissoluble

chain of Union, connecting forever, as one, the East and the West."

FOUNDERS OF THE FREE SCHOOLS.

AT

the heart of

all

movements one

great

earnest and enthusiastic

finds a

few

spirits.

Before i#34, Pennsylvania had no organized system of

The

elementary education. ings,

state

had many school

build-

and the old-time master from district to

wandered

He had

district.

license to teach,

no

legal

and usually

"boarded round." Thousands of children were not near these schools, and thousands more were too poor to pay

The

the fee.

of the time

public

great

was

for schools,

for

schools,

demand all

the

children.

To

John Andrew Shulze.

the unselfish and noble

efforts of three

German governors

of Pennsylvania,

the patriotic zeal of an adopted son of our

soil, is

and

due the

grand system of free schools. John Andrew Shulze (1775-1852), of Berks C ount y» was the first governor to take a bold stand for elementary gratitude of

all

w. and

for our

B.



lCJigitized

by Microsoft®

262 education.

He was

a finely educated man, a Lutheran

clergyman, and, after serving in both branches of the state Legislature,

He

was twice elected governor. office from 1823 to 1829.

occu-

pied this important

In his message of 1827 he

than that which enjoins

it

"Among

said,

tions of the Constitution, there

is

the injunc-

none more interesting

as a duty in the Legislature

to provide for the education of the poor throughout the

Commonwealth.

understanding and

If the culture of the

heart be entirely neglected in early

life,

there

is

great

reason to fear that evil propensities will take root, while with proper discipline there might be a rich harvest of usefulness and worth."

George

Wolf

777-1 840), a native of Northampton

(1

County, became governor in 1829, and served two terms.

was a Pennsylvania German, and a resHe,

too,

friend

olute schools.

;~f';

rity,

of

integ-

common

sense.

He

enough to be his own master, and gentle love children devotedly, and to give the best

George Wolf.

years of his

youth of

sterling

sound judgment, and

strong

to

free

Wolf

was a teacher, a scholar, and a statesman. He sat in state and national halls of legislation, and was a

man

enough

of

George

firm

creating a system of education for the

life to

this great

was

commonwealth. Digitized

by Microsoft®

263

He was gave

the champion of the Act of 1834, and gladly

his executive approval to the

new

The

law.

school

children of Easton recently

erected a

beautiful

memorial

memory

gate to the of

Governor Wolf,

the father of our public school sys-

tem.

The new school -J3eS| law was opposed on

The people

all sides.

were

in favor of ,

cation,

,.

,_

1

edu

but did not

what they

The Wolf Memorial

.i-i

Gate.

like

called the machine-like system the law of 1834

provided.

The

Legislature of the next year resolved to the

repeal

school

law.

In

the height of this excitement,

Ritner

Joseph another

man,

j

:

a

(1

780-1 869),

Pennsylvania native

of

Ger-

Berks

was elected governor. Joseph Ritner was a On a farm self-made man. County,

Washington County he worked and read books until 1820. He was then elected in

Joseph Ritner.

to the state Legislature,

and

served twice as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

During

his

campaign a story was published that Ritner Digitized

by Microsoft®

264

was

He

walked

made him

retract

favor of the repeal of the school law.

in

many

miles and faced the lying editor,

in his paper,

and declared that he would not under any

circumstances purchase

by betraying

office

But the greatest defender

his principles.

our school system in

of

this

was Thaddeus Stevens. He was the political opponent of Governor Wolf, but did not allow his politics to keep him silent when the children of the commoncrisis

Mr. Stevens was born

wealth were likely to suffer. Danville, Vermont, in

in

His mother's savings sent

1792.

Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 18 14. The next year he came to Pennsylvania, and early became him a

to

member

of the

When

Legislature.

the act to repeal

the law of 1834 had passed the Senate and was about to

pass the House, Mr. Stevens delivered one of the greatest

speeches that ever rang through the halls of legislation.

Only

few of the many eloquent sayings of

a

this great

advocate of universal education can be given here.

"The barbarous and abroad

in

some parts

disgraceful cry, which

we

of our land, 'that learning

us worse, that education

no echo within these

makes men

halls.

.

.

rogues,' should find

Who

.

hear

makes

would not rather

do one living deed than to have his ashes enshrined ever-burnished gold

?

Why

.

repudiate a system which

is

shall

in

Pennsylvania now

calculated to elevate her to

that rank in the intellectual, which,

by the blessings

Providence, she holds in the natural world

?

.

.

of

.

" Old habits and old prejudices are hard to be removed

from the mind.

Every new improvement which has been

gradually leading civilized,

up

man from

to the highly Digitized

the

savage,

through the

cultivated state, has required

by Microsoft®

265 the strenuous, and often perilous exertions of the wise

and good. " I- have seen the present chief magistrate of this commonwealth [Wolf] violently assailed as the projector and .

.

.

father of this law.

man

am

I

not the eulogist of that gentle-

but he deserves the undying gratitude of the people

;

for the stern, untiring zeal which he has manifested in

common

favor of

schools.

I

trust that the people of this

never be called upon to choose between a sup-

state will

porter and an opposer of free schools.

come

to that

;

if

on which we are of education friend,

were

that should be

made

to cast our suffrages

my

moment

should

I

if

deem

it

my

;

if

the opponent

my

political

most obnoxious

duty as a patriot, in this

and place myself unhesitatingly and

in the ranks of him whose banner streams in

cordially

light.

your vote that the blessing of education shall be

conferred on every son of Pennsylvania

home

should

of our intellectual crisis, to forget all other con-

siderations,

" Cast

it

most intimate personal and

and the free-school candidate

enemy,

But,

the turning point



shall

be carried

to the poorest child of the poorest inhabitant of the

meanest hut of your mountains, so that even he may be prepared to act well his part in this land of freemen and lay on earth a broad

and

solid foundation for that

enduring

knowledge which goes on increasing through increasing eternity."

This burst of eloquence and truth saved the school

tem

of Pennsylvania.

Again

Mr. Stevens pleaded for aid

I

same

hall,

in

1838,

to education in a masterly



memorable words have often thought and wished that I was the owner

manner and "

in the

sys-

closed with these

Digitized

by Microsoft®

:

266 or trustee of the whole mountain of Ophir. ter its

yellow dirt upon the

be any

fertilizing

human

property in

would

I

intellect until,

if

scat-

there

every young idea should

it,

shoot forth with overshadowing luxuriance."

Thaddeus Stevens revered the memory

who

fell in

War

the

of 1812,

and of

of his father,

devoted mother.

his

In his will he gave $ 1000 to a

church

Baptist

" out

Lancaster,

owe whatever

I

had on

He also

sum

a

of

pros-

little

have

I

earth."

re-

whom

mother, to

perity

of

memory

spect to the

my

in

set aside

" that the sexton

keep her grave

in order,

and plant roses and other cheerful

flowers

at

the

four corners of said grave

every spring." In 1864, a lady of Get-

tysburg gathered some

the greatest battlefield of

War and had them made

the Civil

sent to Mr. Stevens. wrote,

relics of

"When

I

review

all

the measures in which

taken part, some of them very important,

which

I

feel so

Pennsylvania.

me

for

hope a

it.

I

I

have

see none in

much pleasure as the free-school system of As the mother of eight children you thank

Such thanks while

I

am

for the blessings of the poor

much more

This she

into a cane.

In his letter of thanks to her he

living,

when

I

and

am no

if

by Microsoft®

could

more, are

grateful reward than silver or gold." Digitized

I

267

He

He was

always defended the poor and oppressed.

a stanch friend of the negro race, and refused to be buried

On

cemetery from which negroes were excluded. grave in Lancaster are these words in a

:

"

I

his



repose in this quiet and secluded spot, not from any

natural preference for solitude, but finding other cemeteries

by charter

limited I I

might be enabled

rules as to race,

I

have chosen

it

to illustrate in death the principle

have "advocated through a long

life

— equality

that

which

of

man

before his Creator."

A SCHOOL IN

IN

THE EARLY DAYS.

one of the counties on the northern s border, shortly

after the present school law

was engaged

was adopted, a young lady

to teach school.

In those days there were

and no county superinyoung lady went before the school board tendents. The The best-educated member had gone for an examination. no normal schools, no

down the

institutes,

river with a raft.

The

five

remaining

men asked

the lady a few simple questions, and then gave her a slip of greasy paper containing the following "

This

is

to Sertify that the Bair er

ing Ben duly examined qualified to

of joun.

Miss

as the law directs

hav-

we

find her well

&

penmanship

&

a good morrel

witness our hands and seals this

carrecter

The new



teach the folowing Branches reading arith-

metick and geography

day

:

1st.

." .

.

teacher was to be paid the

sum

of twelve

dollars for a term of eleven weeks, with five and a half Digitized

by Microsoft®

268

School might be kept open

days' teaching each week.

every other Saturday, or on Saturday mornings, as the teacher preferred.

The

teacher's income

was further

creased by the privilege of boarding around

among

in-

the

parents of her pupils.

The schoolhouse was

small and low.

It

was

built of

rough, unpeeled logs, and roofed with pine slabs laid with the round side up, and fastened to the rafters with poles tied

The

on with withes.

planks laid loosely upon the

an opening

in the wall

schoolhouse.

It

;

It

was

and straw.

would

fall

was made of unplaned

this

Opposite the door was

was the only window

had neither glass nor

The chimney occupied ing.

floor joists.

nearly the entire end of the build-

built of stones laid with

mortar made of clay

During every heavy rain some and leave

its

in the

sash.

of this plaster

upon the floor. the room consisted of three the other two were merely

stain

The only furniture in benches. One had legs

;

slabs laid on low blocks of wood.

A

smooth board was fastened lengthwise

to the log

A row wooden pegs were driven into the wall, and on these the children hung their caps and cloaks. There was nothing more in the room no blackboard, no chair, no maps. The door swung on wooden hinges and was fastened with a long wooden latch. under the window and served as a writing desk. of

:

The new

teacher was happy the

moment

the door was planed smooth.

she saw that

Here was something that With bits of charcoal she wrote the lesson on the door. This greatly amused and interested the children. could be used for a blackboard.

Digitized

by Microsoft®

269

A

hickory broom was borrowed from one of the neigh-

bors and used to clear the room of the dead leaves which

had blown which had

in

during the winter, and the numerous cobwebs

The

collected.

teacher and the large scholars

During the noon recess they gathered chips, bark, and dead limbs from the woods. These

furnished the wood.

were used for the summer nearly

all

day when

it

fires,

which were kept burning

rained,

and were started almost

every morning.

Only three out

when

of twenty-four pupils

The

school started.

which had been wrapped around her smoothing

it

out carefully, cut

Each piece served a

had any books

teacher took the newspaper

it

Bible, and,

after

into sixteen equal parts.

child for a reader

and a

speller.

pupils were remarkably careful of these scraps, and

The knew

their lessons well.

The

little

ones

who

did not

know

their letters

were given

a pin and told to punch a hole over every letter

they could

out, a

find.

knew

finally

Then another

the alphabet.

When

"o"

was taken, until they the newspaper wore

thoughtful friend sent the teacher a bundle of old

handbills and posters. far

letter

These became a mine

of wealth

more valuable than the newspaper.

Great was the rejoicing when the discovery was made one day that the flagstones found in the bottom of the

brook near by could be used for slates. Each pupil got out his own " flag," or slate, and proudly carried it to the schoolroom. These slates being of different sizes, and difficult

to

hold, the teacher allowed the pupils to lean

them against the bottom on the

floor

log of the wall, and to

while they wrote and ciphered. Digitized

by Microsoft®

The

sit

or

lie

children

270

An

used soft stones found in the same brook for pencils.

amused smile looked at her

busy

up the teacher's face when she flock all lying or sitting on the floor

often little

lit

work.

at

Thus,

in spite of all difficulties, these

The

learning.

pupils

eager minds were

loved to walk with the teacher

through the shady woods carpeted with moss and flowers.

They had no books with

pictures,

great glorious picture book

no charts or maps, desks or

all

but they had God's

around them.

chairs, but

They had

they had a teacher

who loved them, and their little hearts were happy. Even when it rained, and their one little window had

to

be boarded up to keep out the driving storm, the children considered

it

a rare treat, and wished that

it

would rain

again, so they might sing songs, recite the multiplication

and

table,

hunters and the Indians.

listen to stories of the

«xk°

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

THE

Underground Railroad appeared

about 1804, at Columbia.

some colored persons

ing of

to protect

As

1

726,

members it

number

liberty.

John Wright and Robert Barber left along the Susquehanna River. Sev-

of the Society of Friends

soon came here,

Many

Friends believed

bringing their slaves with them. that

shoot-

at this place led the people

and shelter those who were seeking

early as

Chester and settled eral

in Pennsylvania

The kidnaping and

was wrong of families

About this time a on the Susquehanna set their negroes to

keep

Digitized

slaves.

by Microsoft®

;

271

In 1787,

free.

when Samuel Wright

town

laid out the

of

Columbia, provision was made for the free colored people,

who

gradually collected in the northern part of the

borough, on

A

number

given to them by the Wright family.

lots

Quakers

in Virginia gave their slaves freedom, and many of these colored people were brought to Columbia. The reputation of the town soon spread into

of

Maryland and

way

Virginia,

and

it

became

a refuge for runa-

slaves.

These people seldom ran away from good masters.

when they had

a cruel master, or

selves separated to

from

But

when they found them-

their families,

and about

to

be sold

the drovers and taken to the far south, they would

Some

risk their lives to escape.

followed the North Star

A

others, the ranges of mountains. into

Susquehanna River. as far

as Columbia,

disappeared. until

large

number came

Pennsylvania by way of Gettysburg, York, and the

the

The

of

them them

lost in this

town,

slave hunters could track

where

all

trace

Every possible clue was

and sign

kidnapers declared that "there

must be an

underground railroad somewhere." After the fugitive-slave law of 1850 was passed, slave

hunting became a regular business.

The

and had a secret A few were sent up the Susquehanna River, but the larger number were sent from station to station across Lancaster, Chester, Many were sent to Montgomery and Bucks counties. Philadelphia, where another line came in from Wilmington antislavery people

organized,

understanding about hiding the runaways.

and Havre-de-Grace through Chester County. The difUnderground Railroad often crossed.

ferent lines of the

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by Microsoft®

272

Another route entered the

state

in

Bedford County,

and following the mountain valleys crossed the western Susquehanna route. Then the runaways were forwarded through Potter County on their way to Canada.

At one time an

old gentleman on the

Lancaster and

Chester County route received half a dozen frightened

His wife was giving them "a good square

fugitives.

meal"

when

in the cellar kitchen,

a party of kidnapers

The

unexpectedly rode up to the house.

who was somewhat out on

old gentleman,

came

crippled and used a big cane,

his front porch, and

He was

invited the

slave

hunters

very hospitable, and soon had them

to

come

all

seated in his sitting room, which was directly over the

in.

They

kitchen.

told

him that they were

and had good reason house

at that

to believe that

" hu'ntin' niggers,"

some were hid

They asked him

very time.

if

in his

he thought

it

was right to steal away a man's property. They grew angry and declared that they were going to search his buildings

;

and as they arose for that purpose one

them asked him

who harbored would do

"Do," I'd say,

big cane

if

if

he knew what the law was for a

slaves,

and another asked him what he

there were " niggers " in his house now.

said the old '

man

Run, boys, run

down on

whacks, as

of

man

if

to

! '

"

in

a loud voice,

"Do! Why,

and with that he brought

his

the floor with three or four resounding

emphasize what he

slaves in the kitchen

said.

The hungry They

needed no second warning.

leaped out of a window, and ran across the

field into

the

woods before the kidnapers began to search the house. After wasting an hour or more hunting through the buildings, with the old

man hobbling

Digitized

by Microsoft®

along with his cane,

"

273

they

left

much

very

dissatisfied,

saying that they were

sure that their slaves were there, because they had tracked

them into his At another

lane.

time,

when Enoch

New

tician, lived in

Lewis, the great mathema-

Garden, Chester County, a slave came

him who had run away from the far south. He was a preacher, and had great faith in God's protecting care. He had made many narrow escapes before. Enoch Lewis sent him to a colored man in the neighborhood for safe

to

The

keeping.

colored

man

cave near a stream of water. uneasy.

He

felt that

hid the preacher in a small

That night the slave became Not a sound was

he was in danger.

heard, yet the devout old preacher said afterwards, "

spoke right inter

thin'

and

my

heart and said,

'

Git

Someup outer here

run.'

He

obeyed

this

inward feeling, and, crawling out of the

cave, ran to the stream of water,

and

after

walking

in that

for a short distance he caught the overhanging branch of

managed to climb up and He was still within sight of

a tree and foliage.

"Jist as

I

bide within his

little

its

thick

cave.

got fixed," he said afterwards, "lyin' straight

saw dem come, Massa, and a dozen more on hoss-back, hollowin' and screecbin', de hosses at full jump, and de dogs yelpin', right up to de out 'long a big limb,

I

But no cave whar dey 'spect to find de poor nigger. poor nigger dar. Den de dogs run about from cave to de creek, and from creek back to de cave, smellin' de groun'.

little

De men stamp and creek pas'

my

tree.

what

good let 'em see me dar Spirit

tell

thrash about, ride up and

down de

De moon perty bright, but de same me to git away from de cave, wouldn't

lyin'

on dat limb

Digitized

by Microsoft®

like a coon."

274

RACHEL HARRIS AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

CUNNINGHAM,

MORT"

had

land,

a slave

in his possession

a

owner

tall,

to

hired "

New

"

Rache

Mary-

muscular, yet

slender and sensitive slave girl called " Rache."

ham

in

Cunning-

man who was "Rache" was

for a time to a

Orleans for his health.

going taken

Her new master grew worse, and decided to return They were on a ship. A storm came up the winds howled, and the ship lurched, until a cow on board bellowed with fear. " Rache " was deeply moved by the scene. Her master died before the ship landed. When the cow was driven on shore she raised her head, as soon along.

home.

;

as her feet touched the earth, and, snorting, dashed through

the crowd.

and then invitation

occupied.

was out

The

captain of the ship looked at "

The young

at the cow. ;

"

slave needed no further

glancing around, she saw that her mistress was "

Rache

"

immediately followed the cow and

She made her way

of sight in a flash.

lived for

Rache

many

years with

Emmor

boarding school in northern Chester County.

went by the name

of

Henrietta Waters.

who was

north,

and

Kimber, who kept a

Here she After

she

runaway Maryland slave, she came with her husband and lived in a little house on Miner Street in West Chester. "Rache" was now called Rachel Harris, and was well known and married Isaac Harris,

esteemed

also a

where for many years she made washing and ironing and housecleaning.

in the town,

herself useful in

She was always cheerful and Digitized

lively,

by Microsoft®

and her

clear, strong,

275

musical voice was heard in the evenings

all

over that part

of the town.

A

large reward had been offered by Rachel's master

A West Chester man, who loved money more than a woman's liberty, answered the advertisement and told where Rachel was. The owner soon came from Maryland, and engaged a constable to go with him and arrest Rachel. The frightened woman was taken before Thomas S. Bell, where the man proved her to be Judge

for her capture.

his property.

Rachel quickly realized that she was into slavery,

husband.

to

be taken back

and that she would be separated from her

The examination was

held in the judge's

office,

which, at that time, was located on the southeast corner

Church and Miner streets. Before the hearing was entirely over, Rachel asked if she might step out in the back yard. The constable, who was a large, heavy man, of

consented, and followed her.

Like a

Rachel dashed across the yard, and, the

constable,

cat,

to the

the nimble

amazement

sprang upon and climbed over a

board fence which was seven feet high.

Rachel ran down

could not follow her.

The

alleys,

of

solid

constable

and across

She dashed into a hat shop, leaping over a vat of boiling liquid, and frightening the men as if she were a ghost. She then ran into an alley back of Dr. Worthington's stable, and rushed into the kitchen and threw her arms around Mrs. Worthington, crying, " For God's sake streets.

save me.

Take me

in.

My

master's after me."

Mrs. Worthington tried to soothe her, but to no purRachel demanded to be hid, and was taken to the pose. garret and locked in a

"cubby

Digitized

hole."

by Microsoft®

Soon

after,

Mr.

276

Worthington came home down,

sat

to

usual

their

in

the family

way, nothing was said

made no mention

Mrs. Worthington

about Rachel.

When

dinner.

quiet

or

sign of anything having happened.

Meanwhile, the constable, the slaveholder, and a party

men were

of

street,

a colored

they

woman

running

They asked

woman, and wondered what she was running

He

quickly realized that these

"

Which way

"

Sure,

I

saw

if

he

John "had seen

past.

the

answered, " Yes,

first

there was not a person to be seen

except an old man, John Hutchinson.

had seen

When

out hunting the runaway.

rushed into the

men were

after.

kidnapers, and

her."

did she go

?

"

they asked, eagerly.

and she shot along there

a

like

rabbit,"

The

answered, pointing in the opposite direction.

he kid-

napers, being thus misled, wasted the remainder of the

forenoon hunting in the wrong side of the town.

Some-

time during the afternoon they heard that something like a ghost had leaped over the vat in

They went

shop.

Worthington

Sammy

Auge's hat

there and examined, and, meeting Mr.

in the street, they

asked him

He

or heard anything of her.

said he

body believed what Mr. Worthington

if

had

he had seen not.

said, so the

Every-

men

did

not search his house.

The

abolitionists

watched, and

if

West Chester Her husband worked

out of

that

they

were

if

Benjamin

evening standing

all

closely

take Rachel

to

that night, they would be arrested. in

the brickyard of Philip P. Sharp-

This gentleman planned the escape.

less.

that

knew

any of them attempted

Price's

carriage

was

in front of the Friends' Digitized

by Microsoft®

to

He knew

be seen that

School on High

277 Street,

no suspicion would be aroused, because Benjamin's

sons were there at school, and he was accustomed to drive in

on that evening of the week About dusk Benjamin drove

as usual, hitched his horses,

them

to take

to a lecture.

his carriage into the

shed

and entered the schoolroom

where the students were preparing their lessons. When the hour for the lecture arrived, Benjamin and one of his sons went out and got into the carriage, while the other students went to the lecture.

In a few minutes

Rachel Harris and her husband

A

appeared, both dressed like men. asked,

"Is that you, boys?"

"Then hop an errand

voice in the carriage

"Yes," was the

right in; we'll be late at the lecture.

to

do

first."

The

drizzling rain

ness of the night were in their favor.

They

and the darkstarted north,

going out High Street to attend to their errand. they turned into a

They drove

byway which

rapidly to

reply.

We've

Then

led to the State Road.

Norristown and across Mont-

gomery County, to William Johnson's, in Bucks County, where they arrived near ten o'clock the following morning.

From

this station

on the Underground Railroad Rachel

Harris and her husband were sent on to Canada.

WILLIAM PARKER AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

WILLIAM

PARKER

was

a

little

After his mother's death,

orphan slave boy.

he was sent to the

" quarters," a great, long, low building with a fireplace in

each end, and a row of small rooms on each W.

AND

B.

l8 Digitized

by Microsoft®

side.

In this

278

house were huddled together

They

the plantation.

near the

the power of his

there

the orphan children on

Parker soon learned to secure his rights by

fire.

One day

all

often quarreled over the best places

fists.

men came

a crowd of

was a big slave

to the plantation,

who was now

Parker,

sale.

and

a good-

companion and climbed into a high pine tree. There they remained all day, listening to the cries and wailing of women and children who were being sold away from each other brothers from sisters, a mother sized boy, ran with a

;

from her children, a husband from his That day Parker felt that he would

wife. like to

be

In

free.

a low tone he suggested to his companion, Levi, that they

run off that night and go to the free

states.

When

dark-

ness came, Levi wanted to go and see whether his mother said, " I

had been

sold,

home:

I

want

vailed,

and they went back

The

but Parker

go

to

have no mother and no

But Levi

to the free states."

pre-

to the quarters.

next year Levi was sold, and Parker remained on

the plantation until he

One day he was

was seventeen.

being whipped with an oxgoad for not going out into the rain to work, his

master.

the

fields.

when he

seized the stick

and soundly flogged

Then, bidding him good-by, he ran across Seeing his brother, he beckoned to him, and

they ran on together.

After several days, just as they were entering York

in

Pennsylvania, they met three men, one of them a very large

man, who stopped them, saying, I've

been looking

for."

And

"

You

are the niggers

he read from a newspaper

advertisement a description of Parker and his brother. "

Now," he

said,

"we

are going to take

Digitized

by Microsoft®

you back."

279

I

"No, you're

not," said Parker.

"I've taken

many

"and

a runaway," replied the man,

can take you," and with that he put one hand

pocket as

if

Parker struck the arm

out to take hold of his prisoner.

with a heavy club.

in his

and with the other reached

to get a pistol,

It fell as if

broken.

A

fight ensued,

and the white men ran. The boys gave chase, determined to beat them more, but the men escaped.

That

night, as Parker

and

his brother

were approaching

Columbia, they heard voices behind them, and, dropping into a fence corner, they lay quiet until the

The

voice of one

man

men

passed.

they recognized as their master's.

to the runaways, and they County and hired with some farmers

Nothing further happened

came

into Lancaster

in the vicinity of Christiana.

The the

notorious "

slave

Gap gang" made

hunters capture

negroes were taken.

a business of helping

runaways.

Very often

free

Parker organized the colored people

to resist these invasions.

One evening he was

at a friend's

house discussing the dangers surrounding a colored man's

when four kidnapers knocked at know who was inside. No one answered. The door was

life,

to

leader drew

his pistol

the door,

demanding

burst open, and the

upon Parker, who, reaching

heavy pair of tongs, struck the man The kidnapers took up their victim and ran away.

for a

senseless to the floor.

had been accustomed

who submitted

They

to frightening the colored people,

as soon as caught.

Parker was a new kind of

man among

them.

When-

ever he heard of a colored man being kidnaped, he would start in pursuit, and if he could overtake the party, Digitized

by Microsoft®

28o

he generally rescued the negro and brought him back. Once, with six men, he followed a band of kidnapers toward the Maryland line. When he overtook them, pistols and guns were used freely on both sides. Parker was shot in the leg and fell, but, rising, quickly renewed the fight. The kidnapers called for quarter. Parker told them they could have it as soon as they gave up their prisoner. The man was released, and brought back to Christiana When Parker reached home, he took a in triumph. penknife and cut the bullet out of his leg, and said nothing further about the

affair.

Another time Parker gathered

his

men, and rescued a

slave from the courthouse in Lancaster.

In doing

Parker was contending with a superior force. brickbats were hurled at him, and pistols

fired.

men down on

Parker, nothing daunted, knocked

this,

Stones and

either

side of him, until he cut the prisoner's cords.

During times,

this

affair,

Parker was caught and tied three

and as many times he broke

to using his

heavy

Lindley Coates, a said that Parker

bands, and

his

fell

fists.

member

"was

Friends,

of the Society of

as bold as

a lion, the kindest of

men, and the warmest and most steadfast of friends."

The night before the Christiana who knew Parker well urged him,

a

Quaker lady

the

slaveholders

riot, if

should come, not to lead the colored people to to

resist,

not

oppose the fugitive-slave law by force of arms, but

escape to Canada.

Parker replied that

the nation protected colored

men

the

to

laws of

as they did white men,

he would be non-resistant, and would not appeal to the laws. Digitized

if

by Microsoft®

fight,

but would

— 28r " But,"

made

not

he

" the laws for personal protection are

said,

for us,

If a fight occurs,

I

and we are not bound to obey them. want the whites to keep away. They

have a country and

may

obey the laws, but

we have no



country."

~j»i