for their defense, should their title and proceedings be disputed. The party of forty from Connecticut pressed close upon the heels of Stewart and Ogden, and sat down before their little garrison on the 8th of February. It was a close investment, all intercourse between the besieged and their friends, if they had any, in the surrounding country, being cut off.

As already stated Lazarus Stewart in 1769 went to Connecticut and entered into negotiations with the Susquehanna company. He and his followers were granted Hanover township, provided they would settle on and defend the same.

On the 1st of January, 1770, Stewart at the head of forty of his men and ten New Englanders entered what is now Luzerne county, coming direct to Wyoming and captured Ogden and Jenning's garrison that had been left at Fort Durkee.

Ogden was then sent with a force from Philadelphia and again took possession of his fort at Mill creek. The Yankees were driven out and forced to retreat back to the Delaware river. Stewart was then joined by Maj. John Durkee, who had been released from prison, and they marched against Ogden and compelled him to surrender, drove him from the valley and burned his block-house. One man was killed in the encounter. Stewart and his men then took possession of Hanover township and proceeded to clear the land, improve and plant the soil.

On June 28 Governor Penn issued a proclamation forbidding settlements under Connecticut, and offering a reward of £300 for the apprehension of Lazarus Stewart, Zebulon Butler and Lazarus Young, three persons against whom the governor's ire was specially excited. About the last of August, Stewart and his men left Wyoming for Paxton, purposing to return in November with their families. In September, during Stewart's absence, Ogden entered the valley with a large force, captured several men in the field, and, storming Fort Durkee, compelled the Yankees to surrender. Capt. Butler and other leaders were sent prisoners to Philadelphia, and the rest were forced, with women and children, to return on foot to New England. A few days before this event, Stewart was arrested by a posse in Lebanon, under the proclamation of the governor, but, seizing an axe handle, he knocked down the constable and one or two of his aids, and forced his way into the street. The town was in an uproar; the authorities called on the people to aid in his arrest, but they refused. At this juncture Stewart's comrades, who had heard of his danger, rode impetuously into the village, and bore away their leader in triumph. About the last of October following, Stewart crossed the Susquehanna with a span of horses, at Wright's Ferry, into York county, where he was going on business. He was immediately arrested by the sheriff of York and his posse, and thrown into the county prison. Fearful of a rescue, he was hurried away, pinioned and handcuffed, early the next morning, to be carried to Philadelphia, to answer for his offence in acting against his native State in favor of the Connecticut settlers. He was in charge of the sheriff, accompanied by three assistants. No sooner had the "Paxton Boys" heard of his arrest. than they proceeded in great haste to York, but they arrived too late. The sheriff was one day in advance of them with his charge. They, the prisoner and escort, tarried for the night at Finley's, many miles on the road toward the city. The night was cold, and the three guards, with Stewart, lay down before a large fire in the bar-room, the prisoner being fastened to one of the men, to prevent his escape. The sheriff slept in an adjoining room, dreaming, doubtless, of his success, and his reception at Philadelphia with a captive whom Governor Penn had declared to be the most dangerous man in the province. But Stewart was wide awake. At the dead of night he cautiously unloosed the rope which bound him to the snoring guard, and, with noiseless tread, made his way, unobserved, into the open air. Handcuffed, and without coat, hat or shoes, he traveled through the woods and unfrequented thickets to Paxton, where he arrived on the following day. His presence brought great joy to his sorrowing wife and children, and exultation to his Rangers.

He

was a member of his company, and father and son fell together. When the proprietaries offered a reward for his head, he issued a proclamation declaring them outlaws, and rallied his followers and opened war on their fort and captured it. never asked for quarter, and there is little doubt that had he been given his choice, he would have died as he did amid the roar and clash of battle.

No other attempt at settlement was made in this part or in what is now Luzerne county, until 1769. For seven years again was the quiet of desolation and death. The settlers of 1762-3 who escaped the massacre returned to Connecticut. In the meantime the flames of savage warfare raged in the settlements along the river below this point. Lazarus Stewart and his Rangers slept continually on their trusty rifles and pursued the savages relentlessly and at the same time openly defied the Pennsylvania authorities to suppress them. The settlement was renewed as stated in 1769 and with various interruptions was rendered permanent.

The project of establishing a colony in Wyoming was started by sundry individuals in Connecticut in 1753, during which year an association was formed for that purpose, called the Susquehanna company, and a number of agents were commissioned to proceed thither, explore the country, and conciliate the good will of the Indians.

The authorities of Pennsylvania stubbornly resisted the movement of the Connecticut people coming here from the first. The Connecticut Susquehanna company however was active, and it was the dangerous and unsettled state of the borders that delayed their first settlement until 1762. Then came the bloody massacre of these people the next year and their being driven off the country, and what is now Luzerne remained without white settlers until 1769.

The proprietaries in the meantime, 1768, had made still another purchase of the Indians to this portion of the country and had taken advantage of the absence from the country of the Connecticut people to strengthen their claim and had built some forts along the river and had a certain military possession.

Lazarus Stewart smarting under the, as he and his followers believed. ill treatment by the Pennsylvania authorities, went to Connecticut and volunteered to join his forces to those of the Susquehanna company and hold possession against Pennsylvania.

The Susquehanna company called a meeting in the early part of 1769 and resolved to resume the settlement by throwing a body of forty pioneers into the valley in the month of February, 1769, to be followed by 200 more in the spring. Indeed the association, in order to strengthen their power as well as their claims, and to expand their settlements, now appropriated five townships, each five miles square, and divided into forty shares, as free gifts to the first forty settlers in each township. Many parts of the flats, or bottom lands, were of course already clear of wood, and ready for cultivation. An appropriation of £200 was made for the purchase of agricultural implements; regulations for the government of the colony were drawn up, and a committee appointed to carry them into effect. The Pennsylvanians, for once, anticipated the people of Connecticut. No sooner had they heard of the renewed movements of the Susquehanna company than they made preparations for the immediate occupation of the valley themselves. To this end, a lease of the valley for seven years was given to Charles Stewart, Amos Odgen, and John Jennings, conditioned that they should establish a trading-house, for the accommodation of the Indians, and adopt the necessary measures for defending themselves, and those who might proceed thither under their lease. Mr. Stewart was a surveyor, and by him the valley was divided and laid out into two manors, that portion of it lying upon the eastern side, including the Indian town of Wyoming, being called the "Manor of Stoke," and the western division the "Manor of Sunbury." In January, 1769, the lessees, with a number of colonists, proceeded to the valley, took possession of the former Connecticut improvements, and erected a block-house

for their defense, should their title and proceedings be disputed. The party of forty from Connecticut pressed close upon the heels of Stewart and Ogden, and sat down before their little garrison on the 8th of February. It was a close investment, all intercourse between the besieged and their friends, if they had any, in the surrounding country, being cut off.

As already stated Lazarus Stewart in 1769 went to Connecticut and entered into negotiations with the Susquehanna company. He and his followers were granted Hanover township, provided they would settle on and defend the same.

On the 1st of January, 1770, Stewart at the head of forty of his men and ten New Englanders entered what is now Luzerne county, coming direct to Wyoming and captured Ogden and Jenning's garrison that had been left at Fort Durkee.

Ogden was then sent with a force from Philadelphia and again took possession of his fort at Mill creek. The Yankees were driven out and forced to retreat back to the Delaware river. Stewart was then joined by Maj. John Durkee, who had been released from prison, and they marched against Ogden and compelled him to surrender, drove him from the valley and burned his block-house. One man was killed in the encounter. Stewart and his men then took possession of Hanover township and proceeded to clear the land, improve and plant the soil.

On June 28 Governor Penn issued a proclamation forbidding settlements under Connecticut, and offering a reward of £300 for the apprehension of Lazarus Stewart, Zebulon Butler and Lazarus Young, three persons against whom the governor's ire was specially excited. About the last of August, Stewart and his men left Wyoming for Paxton, purposing to return in November with their families. In September, during Stewart's absence, Ogden entered the valley with a large force, captured several men in the field, and, storming Fort Durkee, compelled the Yankees to surrender. Capt. Butler and other leaders were sent prisoners to Philadelphia, and the rest were forced, with women and children, to return on foot to New England. A few days before this event, Stewart was arrested by a posse in Lebanon, under the proclamation of the governor, but, seizing an axe handle, he knocked down the constable and one or two of his aids, and forced his way into the street. The town was in an uproar; the authorities called on the people to aid in his arrest, but they refused. At this juncture Stewart's comrades, who had heard of his danger, rode impetuously into the village, and bore away their leader in triumph. About the last of October following, Stewart crossed the Susquehanna with a span of horses, at Wright's Ferry, into York county, where he was going on business. He was immediately arrested by the sheriff of York and his posse, and thrown into the county prison. Fearful of a rescue, he was hurried away, pinioned and handcuffed, early the next morning, to be carried to Philadelphia, to answer for his offence in acting against his native State in favor of the Connecticut settlers. He was in charge of the sheriff, accompanied by three assistants. No sooner had the "Paxton Boys heard of his arrest. than they proceeded in great haste to York, but they arrived too late. The sheriff was one day in advance of them with his charge. They, the prisoner and escort, tarried for the night at Finley's, many miles on the road toward the city. The night was cold, and the three guards, with Stewart, lay down before a large fire in the bar-room, the prisoner being fastened to one of the men, to prevent his escape. The sheriff slept in an adjoining room, dreaming, doubtless, of his success, and his reception at Philadelphia with a captive whom Governor Penn had declared to be the most dangerous man in the province. But Stewart was wide awake. At the dead of night he cautiously unloosed the rope which bound him to the snoring guard, and, with noiseless tread, made his way, unobserved, into the open air. Handcuffed, and without coat, hat or shoes, he traveled through the woods and unfrequented thickets to Paxton, where he arrived on the following day. His presence brought great joy to his sorrowing wife and children, and exultation to his Rangers.

Tidings of the arrest and escape of Stewart had scarcely reached the ears of Gov. Penn, before he was informed of another serious offence committed by him. At three o'clock in the morning, on December 18, 1770, Stewart, at the head of his men, had made a rapid descent on Fort Durkee, and captured it a second time from the Pennsylvania party. A new warrant was now issued for his arrest by Thomas Willing, a judge of the supreme court, and directed to Peter Hacklein, sheriff of Northampton county, who raised an armed force and proceeded to Wyoming. Arriving at Fort Durkee, January 18, 1771, he demanded admittance. Stewart informed him from the parapet that none but friends should be admitted; that Wyoming was under the jurisdiction of Connecticut, and that he should recog nise no authority whatever in any persons acting under commissions from the government of Pennsylvania. Capt. Ogden, who had accompanied Sheriff Hacklein, now attacked Fort Durkee, and his fire being returned by Stewart's party, Nathan Ogden, the Captain's brother, was killed and three others wounded. Stewart soon perceived his position was untenable. He was short of provisions, and the number of his men was much less than that of the enemy. It was impossible to hold out against a siege, and, consequently, during the night, with the Paxton men, he left for the mountains. Gov. Penn issued another proclamation, offering a reward of £300 for the arrest of Lazarus Stewart, and £50 each for the arrest of James Stewart, William Stewart, John Simpson, William Speedy, William Young, John McDaniel and Richard Cook. But Capt. Stewart had marched through the country and united his forces with those of Capt. Butler, who had been released from prison, and these leaders were now preparing for another effort to regain their lost possessions. In April, 1771, Butler and Stewart, at the head of 150 men, marched into the valley, and, finding Ogden strongly entrenched in a new fortification, which he called Fort Wyoming, they besieged it. Reinforcements, sent from Philadelphia, were defeated, and their supplies were cut off. The fort at length surrendered, and the Yankees were once more in possession of the much-coveted prize.

Stewart owned a large farm in Paxton, and he had married Martha Espy, the daughter of one of the most respectable and wealthy citizens in Lancaster county. But his interests, as well as those of his associates, being now identified with the Yankees, they removed their families to Wyoming. He had obtained five tracts of land in Hanover, and he now proceeded to erect a large dwelling or block-house on the river bank, a short distance below the residence of Gen. E. W. Sturdevant. Emigrants from New England multiplied, and a suitable form of government was established, under which Stewart occupied some important positions. Farmhouses were generally erected, and the entire settlement, unmolested by the Pennaamites, was prosperous and happy for a period of nearly three years.

In December, 1775, Col. Plunket, with 700 men from Northumberland county, invaded Wyoming, and was met at Nanticoke by Col. Butler, with 250 settlers. Butler stationed his forces behind a breast work formed of logs and rocks, near the late residence of Jameson Harvey. As Plunket approached Butler's position he exclaimed: "My God, what a breastwork!" He was greeted by a blank volley from the guns of the Yankees, as the intention was to frighten, not to kill, at the first fire. Plunket then sent a detachment to the other side of the river, purposing to enter the valley near the residence of Col. Washington Lee. Here the force came in conflict with a party under the command of Capt. Stewart. Stewart had unbounded confidence in a volley of bullets, which were poured into the advancing enemy with fatal effect. One man was killed and several wounded. The rest rapidly retreated. Col. Butler was equally successful on his side, but not until he had resorted to something more effective than blank volleys. Plunket ingloriously returned to Northumberland, and this was the last effort, until after the Revolution, on the part of Pennsylvania to regain possession of Wyoming.