her were the stern, strong knights of the plow and the axe, across whose broad shoulders were slung the long, block match-lock rifles; in homespun and buckskin, with moccasin and bare feet these sublime heroes had just emerged from the severest school of hard fate, unkempt and unmindful of exterior appearances, they came together silent and resolved, carrying their lives and sacred honor in their hands and flinging them all, all on the altar of liberty. Independence was declared! From Maine to southernmost Florida war was aflame. Its horrors were everywhere in the land, but far more intensely in this lone frontier settlement, that was worse than isolated and unprotected. It was menaced by double dangers on every side, and even within the household were traitors to the sacred cause.

In November following Cols. Butler and Denison representatives returned from New Haven bringing the good news that the town had been made the county of Westmoreland. Jonathan Fitch was made high sheriff.

During the summer Obadiah Gore, Jr., was commissioned lieutenant and recruited twenty men. About the same time Capt. Strong enlisted a squad of

men-ten or twelve.

August 23, 1776, congress, at the urgent solicitation of Col. Butler, resolved to station two companies at Westmoreland for the defence of the inhabitants. Robert Durkee and Samuel Ransom were elected captains in these companies; James Welles and Perrin Ross, first lieutenants; Asahel Buck and Simon Spalding, second lieutenants; Herman Swift and Mathias Hollenback, ensigns. These companies when raised were stationed one on the east and one on the west side of the river.

In the early winter Gen. Howe had captured New York, the battle of White Plains had been fought; Washington was retreating with his little army of 3,000 men, hungry and nearly naked, through the Jerseys. "The commander-in-chief," says Marshall, "found himself at the head of a small force, less than 3.000, dispirited by their losses and fatigues, retreating almost naked and barefoot in the cold November and December, before a numerous and well-appointed and victorious enemy, through a desponding country much more disposed to obtain safety by submission than to seek it by manly resistance."

On December 8 Gen. Washington crossed the Delaware, and congress immediately took measures to retire from Philadelphia to Baltimore. At this moment of peril, they "Resolved, December 12, that the two companies raised in the town of Westmoreland, be ordered to join Gen. Washington, with all possible expedition. And the very same day adjourned to meet on the 20th, at Baltimore.

Promptly obeying the order, the two companies hastened their march, and before the close of the month and year were with the lines, under the command of their beloved Washington.

The people fully knew the dangerous sacrifice they were making, but not a moment faltered. This action of the patriots stands out prominently in the history of that long and terrible struggle. It was pledged to these men that as soon as conditions in the south should be relieved they would be allowed to return to the protection of their families. It is needless to say this promise was not kept. imperative necessities of the army of Washington made it impossible, horrid as was the impending alternative.

The

The people proceeded in the work of organizing every possible safeguard as well as the work of perfecting the machinery for the new county of Montgomery. Great jealousy between the east and west side of the river had long existed, and the question of locating the county buildings now arose in renewed intensity. After a warm contention Wilkes-Barre was chosen as the county seat-the chief rival had been Kingston-settled by the Connecticut authorities through appointed commissioners.

Every hour brought additional evidence that there were secret enemies in their midst Pennites, some of them, who had come and purchased Connecticut claims.

One, Adonijah Stansbury, had purchased Chapman's mill and he soon developed into an enemy in disguise. Col. Butler and Maj. Judd were appointed a committee to investigate him. He was prosecuted and finally persecuted until he was compelled to sell his mill and leave the settlement. During the summer the people worked on the forts by detachments. The one in Wilkes-Barre occupied what is now the courthouse square. A system of scouts were sent regularly up the river to keep watch of the movements of the Indians. Lieut. John Jenkins in command of a scouting party extended his trip to Wyalusing, where he was taken prisoner by a band of Indians and tories. Three of his men were taken with him: Mr. York, Lemuel Fitch and old man Fitzgerald. All except Fitzgerald were taken to Canada. Jenkins was exchanged for an Indian chief and sent to Albany. These were the first prisoners taken from Westmoreland. Other scouting parties were constantly sent up the river. As about all the able young men were in the continental army they consisted mostly of old men and called themselves " Reformados." Capt. William Hooker Smith, a physician, commanded the one from Wilkes-Barre.

The two companies sent to Gen. Washington were for the first time under fire January 27, 1777, at the battle of Millstone. Durkee's and Ransom's "Independent companies' were under Gen. Dickinson and met a detachment of Lord Cornwallis' men and gained a splendid victory. The companies were at Bound Brook, Brandywine, Germantown and Mud fort. Constant Matthewson, of Spalding's company, was killed by a cannon ball at Mud fort. Two brothers, Sawyers, died of camp disease, Spencer and Gaylord died and Porter was killed.

Connecticut sent out a heavy tax levy on Westmoreland county for the year 1777 2 shillings on the pound." In the face of this is the proceedings of a town meeting, December 30, 1777:

"Voted, By this town that the committee of inspection be empowered to supply the sogers' wives and the sogers' widows and their families with the necessaries of life."

In June, 1778, Gov. Trumbull appointed the following a committee to keep the peace in Westmoreland county: Nathan Denison, Christopher Avery, Obadiah Gore, Zera Beach, Zebulon Butler, William McKarrican, Asaph Whittlesey, Uriah Chapman, Anderson Dana, Ebenezer Marcy, Stephen Harding, John Franklin 2d, Joseph Hambleton and William Judd.

Through the vigilance of this committee congress was kept closely advised of affairs on the headquarters of the Susquehanna. Indications strongly pointed to an invasion from the north. Congress again interposed and adopted the following:

March 17, 1778, "Resolved, That one full company of foot be raised in the town of Westmoreland, on the east bank of the Susquehanna, for the defence of the said town, and the settlement on the frontiers, and in the neighborhood thereof, against the Indians and the enemies of these States; the said company to be enlisted to serve one year from the time of their enlisting, unless sooner discharged by congress.'

A scouting party was near Tunkhannock when a man named William Crooks approached the door of a house that had been occupied by John Secord, a tory, when he was shot dead by Indians within. A skirmish occurred about four miles below Tunkhannock and Joel Phelps and Minor Robbins were wounded. Robbins died the next day. Phelps recovered.

These ominous happenings were in May, and every day the arrogant demands of the Indian beggars and prowlers became more marked. All at once the scattered Indians in this section were recalled and their squaws came down the river, ostensibly begging, but as the people well knew to spy the condition of the settlers.

The people now became almost frantic, and appeals were sent by wives and mothers to their husbands and sons to hurry back and protect them from the impending massacre. But congress and the authorities held these men firmly and were apparently deaf to the piteous appeals.

June 23, only a week before the arrival of the Canadian army, congress resolved to consolidate Ransom's and Durkee's companies, as some had from sickness and other causes* returned, there was at that time only about sixty men left to the company. Of this new company Simon Spalding was made captain and Timothy Pierce and Phineas Pierce lieutenants. They were permitted finally to march to the relief of their families, but as will be seen, too late to ward off the impending thunderbolt. The enemy was concentrating at Newton (Elmira) and Tioga Point (Athens). The latter was in Montgomery county, and here they were preparing their canoes to descend upon the helpless settlers.

Two deserters from the British army, Pike and Boyd, had taken refuge in the valley. They were loyal to the Connecticut people and the latter was useful in drilling raw recruits.

The settlers fled from their homes to the fort. The militia companies were called out and every possible preparation made. The only cannon was in the Wilkes-Barre fort; having no balls it was used as an alarm gun.

Hon. Charles Miner estimates the invading army as about 400 of Butler's Rangers; a detachment of the Royal Greens, and several Pennsylvania tories, with 600 or 700 Indians. Butler, however, in his official report, says he had, all told, 500 men. They descended in their boats to the mouth of Bowman's creek, where the river makes a great bend, and by marching across this peninsula they traveled about twenty miles to the western mountains, reaching that place June 29. At Fort Jenkins, a mile above Wintermoot, the uppermost fort, there were the families of John Jenkins, the Hardings and Gardiners. Not aware of the close presence of the enemy, on the morning of the 30th Benjamin Harding, Stukely Harding, John Harding, James Hadsell, James Hadsell Jr., Daniel Waller, John Gardiner and Daniel Carr, had taken their arms and gone up to Exeter to their work-three miles. Late in the afternoon they were attacked in the field. Waller, Gardiner and Carr were taken prisoners; James Hadsell and his sons James and Benjamin and Stukely Harding were killed. John Harding, a lad, jumped into the water and hid under the willows, merely keeping his lips above water, where he heard the dying groans of his friends near by. The Indians searched carefully for him, but did not find him. This was the opening skirmish of the coming battle.

Col. Zebulon Butler by common assent assumed command of the Connecticut people. By a mere chance he was here on a furlough from the continental army, and had this man's counsel prevailed there is little doubt that this sad chapter in history would have been differently written. July 1 he sent Col. Denison and Lieut. -Col. Dorrance with all his force to Exeter to the scene of the preceding day's tragedy. They found two Indians standing guard over the scalped and mutilated bodies of their victims. These were shot dead-one where he sat and other as he was in the river, fleeing to get away. Col. Zebulon Butler's force buried the dead at Fort Jenkins (now West Pittston), and returned to Forty fort. The invading army then came down and took possession of Fort Wintermoot. The Wintermoots received the invaders kindly and even to the extent that one Daniel Ingersoll, who was in the fort as the enemy approached, began to make preparations to resist, when he was made a prisoner by the tory Wintermoots. That evening a detachment was sent and captured Fort Jenkins; it originally had but seventeen old men to defend it. Four were slain, three captured and the garrison capitulated.

Early the next morning the prisoner, Ingersoll, under an escort, was sent to Forty fort to demand a surrender, not only of the fort, but of Montgomery camp. On the morning of Friday, July 3, Mr. Ingersoll was again sent, with two guides, a white man and an Indian. This was supposed a ruse on the part of the enemy to spy the

*The truth is that when Ransom and Durkee resigned in order to get home, there were twenty-five or thirty of the men who resolved they would, whether or no, also come to their families, and so they did. It was this circumstance that brought on the immediate consolidation of the two companies under Capt. Spalding. Grim necessity, it may be seen, caused in certain cases a laxness in military discipline unknown now in armies.