would fall into their hands. A warrior stealthily slipped up behind her,
placed the muzzle of his rifle close to her head and fired. The entire
upper portion of her head was blown off. One of the Indians then
snatched up her young child and holding it by the feet, dashed it
against a tree.
The Indians then fled with renewed speed, crossing the river at Smith’s
fording, at Level Corner, and hurried up through Nippenose Valley.
When Colonel Hunter and his men came up to where Mrs. Lee was murdered
her body was yet warm. The sight was horrible. The child was but little
injured, but was found moaning piteously.
The pursuit was now so hot that near Antes’ Gap, the Indians separated,
and ran up both sides of the mountains. Colonel Hunter concluded that
further pursuit was imprudent, and the chase was abandoned.
The detail returned, buried the body of Mrs. Lee, and brought back the
child. At Lee’s house they halted and buried the dead there.
Young Thomas Lee who was taken prisoner, was not recovered for many
years afterwards. The son, Robert, made arrangements with the Indians to
bring his brother to Tioga Point, where he was delivered to his friends.
Such was the love of Indian life, however, that he was so reluctant to
return, they were obliged to bind him and place him in a canoe. When
near Wilkes Barre they untied him, but as soon as the canoe touched
shore he darted off like a deer. It was several hours before he was
retaken. On arriving at Northumberland he evinced all the sullenness of
a captive. Indian boys and girls, near his own age were made to play
about him for days before he showed any disposition to join with them.
At last he began to inquire the names of things, and by degrees he
became civilized, obtained a good education, and lived a useful life.
Thomas lived on the home farm for many years, as is proved by a deed
which he and his wife, Eliza, executed April 1, 1797, to William Beard
and Sarah, his wife. Robert Lee and his descendants lived on part of the
property as late as the beginning of the 19th century.
The massacre at Lee’s home resulted in the death of seven persons, and
only four of the six taken captive were returned to their kin. The
others were two sisters and a brother, liberated in 1785.
Since the beginning of spring in the year 1782, there had been sixty-two
inhabitants butchered by the Indians.
Judge John Joseph Henry, in a letter to Secretary of War, says that when
his father was returning home from Congress, then sitting in New York
(1784–85), he found Rebecca Lee on the road desolate and moneyless. He
took her to his own home in Lancaster, and, a few months later, restored
her to their brother, Robert, at Northumberland. The sister was
recovered at Albany a year later, and Thomas was turned over to his
brother in 1788.
Lee was the assessor in the township in which he lived. The Indians
hated him because they believed he had cheated them in a trade and they
sought an opportunity for revenge.
Lee was a prominent citizen, a major in the Northumberland militia,
February 7, 1776, and December 26, following, when a company volunteered
for the main army, Lee was chosen captain. The company was attached to
Colonel James Potter’s Second Battalion and saw much active service.
Claudius Boatman was a Frenchman and after the massacre of his wife, he
took the remainder of his family, in 1786, and settled far up Pine
Creek. He had several daughters, one of whom married John English.
Claudius died in 1802, and was buried in the village of Waterville.
----------
Mollie Maguires Commit Murders on
Bloody Saturday, August 14, 1875
Such a great number of outrages were committed in the anthracite coal
regions by the Mollie Maguires on August 14, 1875, that the day came to
be known as “Bloody Saturday.”
Early in the month symptoms of smouldering disorder began to increase in
severity and numbers. The situation became so alarming that
Superintendent Franklin, of the Philadelphia and Reading Company
arranged to hold a meeting with the two great Pinkerton detectives,
James McParlan and Captain Linden, who had been working for some time
among the members of this outrageous organization of criminals.
This meeting was held at Glen Onoko, in the environs of Mauch Chunk.
Here the three men cleverly managed to get together, and in the quiet
shadows of the great hills, in that Switzerland of America, they fully
discussed the situation and the work being performed.
It so happened that while they were returning from this meeting
McParlan, otherwise James McKenna, as he was known to the Mollies,
encountered some of the ringleaders of that organization: Alexander
Campbell, Hugh McGehan, and others, all under suspicion for murder.
McParlan found himself in the position where it was necessary to
accompany the Mollies to their homes, but he never was in their company
very many minutes before he learned much of value to his chief, Allan
Pinkerton. Captain Linden remained in Mauch Chunk, and Superintendent
Franklin returned to Philadelphia.
B. F. Yost, a policeman of Tamaqua, had been cruelly murdered, July 6,
and word had reached the detective that John P. Jones, of near Lansford,
Carbon County, was marked as the next victim of the Mollies. He was
murdered by James Kerrigan, Mike Doyle and Edward Kelly, September 3,
following.
The Mollies sat together in the smoking car bound for the Summit.
McParlan was under suspicion by the Mollies, and Linden had slipped into
the car unobserved, ready at any moment to take the part of his brother
detective, should he find himself in trouble. Nothing occurred to
require his services and Captain Linden feigned to sleep the time away,
until the drunken crowd left the car. Linden continued his journey to
Tamaqua, and there awaited McParlan’s arrival.
Reaching Summit, Campbell pressed the detective to remain all night at
his house, and he thought it best not to refuse and did so.
Campbell believed McParlan or McKenna as he knew him, had been in Mauch
Chunk that day to obtain a new stock of counterfeit money, which he was
supposed to be passing. McKenna had exchanged some money for crisp
bills, but they were genuine. Campbell arranged with the detective for a
supply of the “spurious” bills, to be delivered in the near future.
This tended to restore Campbell’s confidence in McKenna, and they were
soon discussing Mollie topics with their former freedom of speech.
Campbell was a candidate for the office of body master and McKenna was
strongly for his election.
Campbell then told him the plans for killing Jones, and after McKenna
sang “Widow Machree” for Mrs. Campbell, he retired to his apartment.
Then came the Bloody Saturday events, which proved a horrible experience
for the people of Mahanoy Valley. The crimes for that day were two
dastardly assassinations and one case of manslaughter, besides several
cases of lesser crimes.
The most heinous crime was the murder of Thomas Gwyther, Justice of the
Peace, of Girardville. He was an inoffensive man, of mild disposition
and a reputable, public spirited citizen.
The miners of the Mahanoy Valley had this day received the first pay of
any consequence since the long strike began and the result was that
Girardville, in the evening, was crowded with drunken men.
Gangs of ruffians flourished revolvers, looking for some one to shoot. A
fight ensued and an arrest resulted. Application was made of Squire
Gwyther for a warrant and as he was in the act of preparing it a man
stepped up to him and shot him dead. The assassin fled and escaped.
At Shenandoah, Gomer James, a young Welsh miner, who had defended his
friend, Tom Jones, when assaulted by Mollies, August 11, 1873, and had
since been marked by them, was killed at a picnic in Hecksher’s Grove,
while he was inside a bar, waiting upon his patrons. The assassin
escaped in the darkness.
Many disturbances occurred in Mahanoy City, and an innocent citizen lost
his life, when a disturbance arose between William M. Thomas and James
Dugan. Both drew revolvers and fired at each other. Thomas was shot in
the face, but Christian Zimmerman, who was standing across the street,
waiting for his wife to complete her shopping, received a bullet through
his lungs and died the following afternoon. Thomas was arrested for
assault on Dugan, but no one was arrested for killing Zimmerman. Another
man was shot through the leg during this wild duel, and a rioter was
stabbed during the excitement.
McKenna hurried to Mahanoy City where he found the country in a blaze of
excitement, and as the people believed him the worst Mollie Maguire in
the regions, he remained but a short time, when he took a train for
Shenandoah. He was in Shenandoah four hours when he learned who had
fired the shot which killed Gomer James, and Tom Hurley became a refugee
from justice.
The result of this unexpected success, was that all the Mollies in
Shenandoah engaged in grand bacchanal, and to get rid of them McKenna
left the place and went to Girardville. Here Jack Kehoe, one of the
notorious Mollie leaders told him in a moment of confidence, that the
murder of Squire Gwyther was the result of a drunken spree, and that
Thomas Love, he was glad to say, had made his escape.
This was truly Bloody Saturday, but by no means was it the end of the
reign of the Mollie Maguires in the coal regions of Pennsylvania.
----------
Yankees Drive Pennamites from Wyoming
Valley in Battle Which Began
August 15, 1771
Following the first massacre at Wyoming, October 15, 1763, it was more
than five years before the first forty settlers arrived from Connecticut
to reclaim their improvements. On their arrival they found Amos Ogden
and a few other persons in possession of the lands, occupying them by
authority of the Proprietary Government of Pennsylvania.
Now commenced a bitter civil war, which lasted with alternate success of
the different parties for upwards of six years. The settlements of both
parties were alternately broken up—the men led off to prison, the women
and children driven away, and other outrages committed. Blood was often
shed in this strange and civil strife.
Ogden and his little band were defeated, April 29, 1770, and the Yankees
became the masters of the situation.
The Proprietaries of Pennsylvania raised a force in September, 1770,
under Captain Ogden, to recover Wyoming. Governor Penn issued a
proclamation, June 28, 1770, directing all intruders to depart from
Wyoming.
Ogden planned a surprise attack and marching by way of Fort Allen,
traveled the Warrior’s Path, then but little used. The stratagem
succeeded, for the Yankees watched for them only along the regular path.
Ogden again proved his shrewdness by outwitting the Yankees, and
defeated them, capturing Major John Durkee, and others.
Ogden also captured Fort Durkee through a deception, and marched his
prisoners off to Easton, where they were confined in jail. Major John
Durkee, Major Simeon Draper and Captain Zebulon Butler, were put in
irons and sent to Philadelphia.
Fort Durkee remained in possession of the Pennamites until December 18,
1770, when Captain Lazerus Stewart, and the “Paxtang Boys” surprised the
garrison, and captured the fort.
The Pennsylvania authorities determined on the arrest of Captain
Stewart, and a warrant was placed in the hands of Captain Ogden. He
called upon Sheriff Peter Kechlin, of Northampton County, and a posse
reached Wyoming, January 18, 1771. Stewart refused to submit to arrest
and in the short fight, Nathan Ogden, brother of the Captain, was killed
and three others wounded.
During the night Captain Stewart and forty of his men stole out of the
fort and fled to the woods; the twelve remaining surrendered themselves
to the sheriff. The death of his brother caused Captain Amos Ogden much
distress. The coroner’s inquest found that Nathan Ogden had been
horridly and wilfully murdered by Lazerus Stewart.
Fort Durkee was garrisoned by thirty Pennamites, when the sheriff,
Captain Ogden, Justice Charles Stewart, with their associates, January
23, set out for Easton. Five of the ten prisoners taken at the capture
of the fort were sent to Philadelphia and committed to jail, where Major
Durkee and Captain Butler were still languishing. Those who escaped with
Captain Lazerus Stewart scattered and returned to their homes. Thus was
consummated the fifth expulsion of the Yankees from Wyoming.
The Pennamites in the two forts at Wilkes-Barre were reinforced by other
Pennsylvanians and Captain Amos Ogden and Charles Stewart, Esq. Fort
Wyoming was enlarged and strengthened and all the Pennamite settlers
dwelt therein. Fort Durkee was abandoned and dismantled.
During the next four months peace reigned supreme, and the Proprietaries
had much land surveyed in the Manors of Stoke and Sunbury, and laid out
to various persons, under warrants of the Provincial Land Office.
In the mid-summer seventy men of Connecticut, formerly owners of land at
Wyoming, were enlisted under Captain Zebulon Butler to go forward to the
much-coveted valley. While preparations were going on in Connecticut for
the Wyoming expedition Lazerus Stewart was gathering together a few of
the “Paxtang Boys,” who hastened to join Captain Butler on the march to
Wyoming.
Colonel Asher Clayton was the chief man among the Pennamites, who now
seemed secure and thrifty. On July 6, news reached him that armed forces
of Yankees were approaching, and scouts brought him intelligence that
the Yankees were determined to secure possession of this country.
Clayton went forward and met Butler, but they could not come to terms,
and Clayton returned to the fort. Captain Butler and his men invested
the block house at Mill Creek and awaited developments.
Captain Amos Ogden again arrived at Wyoming and almost as soon as the
Yankees. He found the situation so serious that he determined to be his
own messenger to Philadelphia, where he arrived July 16, in three days’
travel. He appeared before Provincial Council and related the story.
They agreed to raise 100 men and immediately set about to recruit them,
but met with unexpected difficulty.
Captain Butler did not wait for these reinforcements to reach the
Pennamites, but, Sunday, July 21, believed the time had come for the
offensive. That night he silently marched them to the vicinity of Fort
Wyoming, where, before daylight he had entrenched. By Monday these
intrenchments were occupied by Yankees and the battle for Fort Wyoming
was begun. Other redoubts were erected by which all communication with
the outside was cut off from Fort Wyoming, but the Pennamites possessed
means of defense so long as their provisions and ammunition would hold
out.
Reinforcements under Captains John Dick and Joseph Morris left their
rendezvous in the Blue Mountains, Sunday, July 28, and arrived before
daybreak on the 30th. Within 200 yards of the block house they were
attacked by the Yankees and lost two loads of flour and nine men. The
Yankees continued a constant fire, day and night, until August 10, the
defenders returning the fire.
Efforts to send volunteers to the relief of the Pennamites were
unavailing, until Ogden, Van Campen and others, who had extensive land
claims there, induced 62 men to march under command of Dr. Andrew Leslie
from Reemeys, they arrived August 15, at “Ten-Mile Run,” where they
bivouacked, after sending a messenger to the inmates of the fort.
But before the arrival of this detail and the supplies which they
brought, the garrison was nearly starved and on the 15th Colonel Clayton
sent out a flag of truce, and after several consultations accepted the
best terms he could obtain. By the Articles of Capitulation 23 men were
to march out armed, the remainder unarmed, and all to return to their
homes unmolested; men who had families could remain two weeks to collect
their effects; and the sick and wounded could be cared for until able to
leave. The Indian messenger from the relief party arrived just as the
fort was surrendered.
Thus Wyoming was again in the possession of the settlers of the
Susquehanna Company and Captain Zebulon Butler the hero of the hour.
----------
Great Land Purchase Made at Indian Council
in Philadelphia, August 16, 1749
Early in April, 1749, the Six Nations held a Grand Council at Onondaga
Castle, when it was decided to send deputies from each of the nations to
Philadelphia, to shake hands with Governor James Hamilton, who had
assumed the office in the previous November; to answer a proposal for
peace with the Catawba, which had been made by the former Governor of
Pennsylvania, and to consider other matters. It was agreed that all the
deputies should meet together at Wyoming, and proceed thence in a body
to Philadelphia.
About the middle of May the four deputies of the Seneca accompanied by
other members of their nation, arrived at Wyoming, where they waited a
month for the arrival of the deputies of the other nations, who,
however, failed to appear. The Seneca thereupon continued their journey
via the North Branch to Shamokin, then the main river, and arrived at
Philadelphia, June 26, accompanied by some Tutelo, Nanticoke and Conoy.
These Indians were received by the Governor and Council on July 1, when
Ogashtash, the Seneca speaker, stated that the Grand Council at Onondaga
had heard that the white people had begun to settle on the Indians’ side
of the Blue Mountains, in the present Juniata Valley.
Ogashtash further said that during their stay at Wyoming they had heard
things which made them believe this was true. They wanted to know if
this was done wickedly by bad people or if the new Governor had brought
some instructions from the King, or Proprietaries, which the Grand
Council did not yet know, but would cause much hurt.
Governor Hamilton informed the Seneca that the settling of the white
squatters along the Juniata was contrary to the terms of the treaties
made by the Government with the Indians, and that a proclamation would
be issued commanding all the white people who had settled north of the
Blue Mountains to remove by November 1, 1749.
Presents to the value of £100 were distributed on July 4 to the Indians,
and a day or two later Conrad Weiser conducted them out of the city and
journeyed with them as far as his house in Heidelberg Township. Here the
Indians concluded to remain for a few days to visit with their old
friend and brother, and without invitation they camped out near his
house and made themselves very much at home. The Tutelo injured and
destroyed a large amount of Weiser’s movable property and damaged his
plantation generally. Weiser tried in vain to influence them to proceed
on their journey. Finally, after an unpleasant experience of a week or
ten days with these unruly visitors, Weiser induced the Seneca to take
their departure, and they forced the Tutelo to go along.
The Tutelo were from villages on the West Branch of the Susquehanna.
Zeisberger speaks of this tribe as a “degenerate remnant of thieves and
drunkards”; he says that their village near Shamokin was “the only town
on the continent inhabited by Tutelos.”
These Indians loafed and loitered along the way to the Susquehanna,
taking along anything which struck their fancy, and when that stream was
reached they paddled their canoes up the river, stopped awhile at
Shamokin, then at Nescopeck, then at Wyoming, where they arrived August
1.
Two days after these Indians arrived at Wyoming, a large fleet of canoes
came unexpectedly down the North Branch bearing the belated deputies of
the Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga and Tuscarora nations together with
many other representatives—chiefs, warriors, squaws and children of
these several nations, and many Indians of other tribes.
This large company remained at Wyoming for a day, and then proceeded
down the river, accompanied by the Seneca deputies, and their party, who
had just returned from Philadelphia, also by Chief Paxinosa and a large
number of his Shawnee from their new home in what is now Plymouth,
Luzerne County, and by a number of Delaware, Nanticoke and Mohican from
the different villages along their route. At Nescopeck they were joined
by King Nutimus and a number of his people, and then, without further
delay, they floated down the river to Shamokin.
Arriving at this old Indian town at the Forks of the Susquehanna, now
Sunbury, a messenger was sent in haste over the mountains to Conrad
Weiser to announce the coming of the deputies. Soon as Weiser received
this intelligence he dispatched an express to Governor Hamilton, who
immediately directed the messenger to hurry back to Weiser, who was
instructed by the Governor and Council “to try all ways to divert the
Indians from coming to Philadelphia.” This the good old interpreter
tried to do, but his efforts were resented by the Indians with so much
spirit that he was obliged “to turn his protestations into invitations
and make the best of circumstances.”
When this small army of deputies reached Tulpehocken, Conrad Weiser
joined them and was the leader of the party from there to Philadelphia,
where they arrived August 14, and according to the official records they
numbered 280 in all. Governor Hamilton paid a ceremonious visit to the
Indians, and appointed August 16 as the date for the conference with
them.
Several days time of this conference was consumed in discussing the
matters which had brought the Indians to Philadelphia. As a result of
the conference the Proprietaries obtained for £500 a deed dated August
22, 1749, for a strip of land northwest and contiguous to the Blue
Mountains, and extending from the Susquehanna to the Delaware River, the
northwest boundary of this strip being a straight line running in a
northeasterly direction from the north side of the mouth of the
“Cantagny or Maghonoy Creek,” and now known as Mahanoy Creek, a mile
below the present city of Sunbury, “to the north side of the south of
the creek called Lechawachsein,” now Lackawaxon, which flows into the
Delaware near the northern limit of Pike County; the southern boundary
was the mountain range, beginning near Dauphin and running in a
northeasterly direction until it falls into the Delaware River at the
present Delaware Water Gap.
This new purchase included all or parts of the present counties of
Dauphin, Northumberland, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia, Carbon, Luzerne,
Monroe, Pike and Wayne.
----------
Robert Fulton, Native of Lancaster County,
Operates First Steamboat, August 17, 1807.
Robert Fulton demonstrated the first successful commercial steam vessel
August 17, 1807, when he opened the throttle and the Clermont slowly,
but surely, moved against the swift current of the Hudson River.
Robert Fulton was born on a farm in Little Britain Township, Lancaster
County, in 1765. His father was a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, and
emigrated to Lancaster County in 1735, where he soon became one of the
foremost citizens, but did not make a success of farming. A year after
Robert’s birth he mortgaged the farm and moved to Lancaster, where he
died in 1768.
Mrs. Fulton was left with three daughters and two sons, and but little
money and less time to spare to help meet the mortgage. She managed well
with her family but the farm was lost.
The boyhood of Robert was filled with a desire to express his feelings
through the dual medium of painting and mechanics. He seemed to love
both with equal ardor.
His first great thrill came through the acquisition of some discarded
paints and brushes brought to school one day by a companion. Fulton
accomplished great things with them, and quite forgot he was in school
to study.
When Robert was thirteen, the citizens of Lancaster wished to light up
the town on the evening of July 4. It was in the midst of the Revolution
and candles were as scarce as money. The demonstration was given up
until Robert thought out a plan for skyrockets and the lad made possible
the celebration.
In Lancaster lived a clever man named William Henry, who had made some
experiments with a steamboat. Robert often visited the Henry home, and
there saw some pictures painted by Benjamin West, a former Chester
County boy, who had gained great fame as an artist. Here was a man who
appealed to young Fulton.