the Connecticut settlers inviting some of their principal men to his house under pretext of effecting an amicable negociation concerning their res pective titles. The invitation was accepted, and Isaac Tripp, Vine Elderkin and Benjamin Follett repaired to the block-house where they were immediately seized by Jennings who was Sheriff of Northampton County, and being conveyed to Eas ton, were thrown into prison. Their companions were sufficiently numerous to have rescued them, but would not attempt it through fear of endangering the safety of the prisoners. They accompanied the Sheriff to Easton, and having procured bail for their peaceable behavior, the whole party returned again to Wyoming. In the month of March Jennings having ascertained that the settlement of Connecticut people was increasing, assembled a number of persons as a posse, and being accompanied by Lewis Gordon, Anson Depui and Henry Hooker, three Justices of the Peace, proceeded to Wyoming. On their arival the Connecticut people apprized of their approach had secured themselves in a fortified house, but the Sheriff and his posse, having succeeded in forcing it open, seized them and carried the whole, to the number of thirty one persons, to Easton, except a few who escaped on their march through the swamp.

In April the two hundred emigrants appointed by the Susquehanna company arrived at Wyoming, and were joined by those who had been taken to Easton and had been liberated on giving bail.The new Colony, finding they were exposed to be

annoyed by the Pennsylvania party, built a Fort a short distance from the bank of the river by the side of a small stream which flows through the plain, to which they gave the name of "Fort Durkee" in honor of the person who was chosen to command the garrison. Near the Fort they erected about twenty log houses which were provided with loop-holes to fire through in case of an attack. Their Fort consisted of a strong block-house surrounded by a rampart and entrenchment, and being guarded by the river on one side, and a morass extending along the brook on another, afforded a very secure place of refuge in case it should be necessary to abandon their houses. Jennings and Ogden, who had left Wyoming for a few weeks, being informed that the Connecticut people were again collecting at that place, assembled as many as they could persuade to accompany them, and proceeded to Wyoming, where they arrived on the 24th. of May, but finding the Connecticut people too numerous and too well fortified to justify an attack upon them, returned again to Easton, and made a report to the Governor in which Jennings says: he does not believe it is possible to raise a force in the county strong enough to dispossess them, they being by account upwards of 300 able bodied men.

The new Colony having fortified themselves and commenced their agricultural operations for the summer, the Susquehanna company thought it a favorable time to open negociations with the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, and accordingly in

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May Colonel Dyer and Major Elderkin were sent with full powers to negociate for a settlement of all disputes concerning the Wyoming lands, who, on their arrival in Philadelphia, submitted to Benjamin Chew, Esq. agent for the Proprietaries, the following proposition:

"Shall all matters in dispute between the Susquehanna company and the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania relative to the claim made by the former of lands within the Charter limits of Pennsylvania - be referred to a Court of Law to be selected or constituted by the parties, or to Referees to be mutually chosen by the parties, and in either case the decision to be conclusive."

This proposition was rejected as preparations were then in train for sending an armed force to Wyoming to dispossess the Colony. A full copy of the resolutions and proceedings of the Susquehanna company at their general meeting held at Hartford during the previous winter, had been sent to Governor Penn, by Sir Henry Moore, Governor of New York, and had been considered by the council of the 13th. of February, 1769. In consequence of these resolutions, and the events which had subsequently transpired, an armed force was sent to Wyoming under the command of Col. Francis, who appeared before Fort Durkee on the 22d. of June, and demanded a surrender of the garrison and settlement into his hands. This demand was promptly refused, and the Colonel, after reconnoitering the position of the Connecticut forces, and finding them too strongly entrenched to be

captured by his forces, withdrew his troops without commencing any attack. The Proprietaries, finding by the report of Col. Francis that a more. powerful force was necessary, concluded to send the Sheriff of Northampton with a powerful posse of that county to dispossess the Wyoming settlers. Accordingly a long and formal letter of instructions was made out by Penn at Philadelphia,

on the 24th. of August, 1769, and directed to John Jennings, Sheriff of Northampton county, directing him to raise the posse of the county, and proceed to Wyoming to dispossess all persons whom he might find settled there under any other title than that of the Proprietaries. In these instructions the Governor says:

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"It is however warmly recommended to you, to exercise on this unhappy occasion the utmost discretion and prudence, to avoid the effusion of blood, and that neither you or your party strike, fire at, or wound the offenders, unless you are first stricken, fired at or wounded."

In pursuance of these instructions Jennings assembled a large force in Northampton county, and having been furnished with a large quantity of fire arms, an iron four pounder, and a quantity of fixed ammunition; he proceeded to Wyoming, accompanied by several magistrates. Ogden and his party, having been informed of the Sheriff's approach, suddenly surrounded the houses of some of the settlers with about forty armed men, and took by surprize several prisoners, among whom was Col. Durkee who was taken to the Philadel

phia prison. Two days afterwards Jennings and his armed force arrived and paraded to the number of 200 men before Fort Durkee, where they continued on a parley with the garrison, while Ogden and his party collected and drove away all the cattle and horses in the neighborhood. The next day Jennings and his party again assembled in front of the Fort and began to erect a battery on which they mounted the four pounder. The garrison having been deprived of one of their commanders, (Col. Durkee,) and having no means of defence but muskets and rifles, and seeing that a regular siege was about to be commenced, concluded to surrender the Fort to Jennings. Articles of capitulation were accordingly entered into between the parties by which the Fort and buildings were to be given up to Ogden, Jennings and their party. Fourteen men were to remain in possession of their houses on the part of Connecticut, with their families and effects, and to take care of, and harvest the grain sowed, and to hold possession on the part of the Susquehanna company, until his majesty's pleasure in the premises should be known. These articles having been duly exchanged and the Connecticut settlers, with the exception of the seventeen, having peaceably left the disputed territory, Ogden and his party commenced an indiscriminate plunder of whatever could be found in the settlement, cattle, sheep, swine, and other articles, were taken and carried to market upon the Delaware. The seventeen settlers who were left in possession being thus deprived of the means of sustenance du