Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-17

German, English, Low Dutch, French and Swe.
dish with facility, and was thus able greatly to
enlarge the sphere ofhs usefulness.
When the revolutionary struggle commenced,
he, as well as his three sons, then grown to man.
hood, took n most decided stand on the side of
liberty and independence, and their influence
over the German population was freely used,
and was, no doubt, greatly instrumental in caus-
ing them to support the cause of the revolution
with great zeal and vgor. This was well
known tothe British and Hessian officers, who
were lavish of their threats of violence towards
all the family. He writes in his manuscript
journal otl77S-"The name of Muhlenberg is
greatly dsliked and abused by the Ilessian and
British officers in Philadelphia and they threat
en- prison, tortures and death as soon as they
can lay hands upon me-" When Pennsylvania
was the theatre OF war in l777.S he resided at
the Trappe, % miles from the city, where his
house was continually filled with iugitives, sick,
wounded and hungry, and none ever left it With
out relief and consolation. He received many
warnings, and was often entreatcd to remove
farther from the scene of war, and notwilh-
standing several threats of visit from the enc.
my, who sometimes approached within six or
eight miles, he always refused saying that he
was OF more use than he could be at a greater
distance, and would trust TO Providence for pro-
lection in the cause Of humanity and his coun-
try.
After a long career of usefulness he expired
at the Traope, greatly lnmented, not only by his
own family, but by large circle of friends
scattered throughout the United States He left
three sons--Peter, Frederick and Henry.
Peter Muhlenherg, the eldest, was borne at
the Trappo, in Montgomery county. Pennsyl-
vania, October l, l7l6. In the 10Th year of
his age, he was sent to Germany, with his two
younger brothers, to complete his education
The strict discipline, however, Of the school
where the boys were placed, preparatory to
their entering the University Of Halle suited
neither his temper nor his habits Being found
unmunageabe, he was sent to Hanover, where
meeting with British colonel, whom he had
frequently seen at his fathers house in Phia-
delphla he was induced to take him back with
him TO America as his secretary.
His father now took charge ofhs education,
and having prepared him for the ministry, he
was sent to England, and in company with the
late Bishop White, ordained by the Bishops of
London and Ely in the spring ofl772 the
Swedish Lutheran Church, tor which he was
destined, having retained bishops Rl the rcfor-
nation, and always required their clergyman
TO be ordained by one. Upon his return he was
stationed for short time at New Germantown
in New Jersey; from thence he removed to
Dunmore county, [now Shcnandonh) Virginia,
where he had charge Of several large oongre.
cations, until the fall Of l71J, when, at the so-
licitatjon of Gen. Washington, with whom for
several years previous he had been intimately
acquainted, he accepted the commission Of colo.
mental establ shment. The following anecdote
Is told of him. Alter the receipt of his com.
mission, he preached farewell sermon, in the
course of which he told his congregation that
u
preach ant time to fight, ard that nop was
the time to fight" After which he descended
from the pulpit, dismissed the congregation,
put on his uniform, and going TO the church
door, ordered tSc drumo to beat fox recruits
Known as an ardent whig, he had been per-
secuted by the tories. but he was therefore
the more esteemed by the people whom he had
before TINS time represented in the Virginia
House of Delegates, Being greatly beloved
ard enjoying general confidence throughout the
whole Of Western Virginia he found no diff.
Guilty in filling his regiment, with which he
Immediately marched for the protection of
Charleston, S C. At The battle of SuIliyan's
island, jane IS, l776, and during the whole Of
the trying campaigns in Georgia aud South
Carolina, he acted braYe and distinguished
part. Sharing every fatigue and deprivation
incident to such campaign with his soldiers,
he became tavorile with them, who always
readily followed him in any daring and la,
zardous enterprise
On the Dist February, l777, he was promot-
ed BY Congress TO the rank OF Brigadier Gene
raj. September ] |, l777, he took part in the
battle of Brandywine, where his brigade and
that Of Gen. Weeden formed Wayne's division.
which after the day began 10 go against the A.
mericans, sustained the front OF the battle. At
the battle of Germantown Oct. 4, III, his bri-
gade penetrated farthest into the town, and con-
sequently suffered more severely than any o.