Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-11-16
6istorie1l.
FOR THE sUNBURY AMERICANA
"FOrt Augusta" and the ssBIOody
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FOR THE sUNBURY AMERICANA
"Fort Augusta' and the s'BIoody
Spring"
T. T. Green, of Bellefonte, great grand
son of Col. Samuel Miles, of the Revolu-
tionary Army, has allowed us to copy, for
historical purposes, a memorandum OF his
life, made by Col. Miles in 1902. ..t 4.
Ii is a very important historical docu-
ment, explaining what has never been un-
derstood, how Gen. Howe got around the
left of the American army at the battle of
Long Island, August 27, 1776, and with
Col. Broadhead's letter, PENNSYLVANIA Ar
chives, Vol. 8, page 21, completely vindi-
eating the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment
from responsibility for the reverse of that
day., .
Iexpect to publish it in full in ''Lossings
Historical Record of Philadelphia" " but as
it will not reach many of your people,
copy the portion relating to Fort Augusta
and the Bloody Spring, for the benefit of
your readers. -D ..- .r.
battalions OF troops directed by an Act of
Assembly to be raised in the pay of Penn.
sylvania, and / again entered the service
as sergeant in Capt. Thomas Floyd's
Company, and my arrival at John Harris,
(near Harrisburg where the I'd battalion,
which was intended to march against the
Indians at Shamokin, lSunbury) rendez-
voused, under the immediate command of
the Governor of tho Province, Robert
Hunter Morris. n As soon as
the troops were collected and properly
equipped, we marched for Shamokn, an In
dian town, the inhabitants of which had
been very troublesome to the frontier settle
ments. This is mistake of Col Miles !;
the Indian inhabitants here were alwaW
friendly to the whites, and it was at their
request that fort was to be built here.-
See Pa. Archives, Vol. 2, page 55.
We crossed the Susquehanua and march
ed on the west side thereof until we came
opposite where the town of Sunbury now
stands, where we crossed over in batteaux,
and l had the honor of being the first man
who put his foot on shore at landing in
building the Fort at Shamokin, Capt. Levi
Trump and myself had the charge of the
workmen, and after it was finished our bat
TALON remained there as garrison until the
year 1858. .... '..... ..-..
In the summer of 1756 l was nearly ia
ken prisoner by the Indians. AT about
half mile distant from the fort stood a
large tree that bore excellent plums in an
open piece of ground, near what is now
called the Bloody Spring." Lieut.. S. At
lee Samuel John Atlee, Col. of Musketry
Battalion, and taken prisoner at Long Is
landl and myself, one day took walk to
this tree to gather plums. While we were
there party Of Indians lay short dis
tance from us concealed in the thicket, and
had nearly gotten between us and the fort,
when soldier belonging to bullock guard
not far from US came to the spring to drink.
The Indians were thereby in danger of be-
ing discovered, and in consequence thereof,
fired at and killed the soldier by which
means we got of and returned TO the Fort
in much less time than we were coming
out. In the year 1858 the expedition
against Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburg,
was undertaken, and one battalion Joined
the British army at Carlisle.
The Captain Levi Trump, mentioned by
Col. Miles, is spoken of in DIR. Franklin's
letter as experimenting the buildings of
Fort Allen in Northampton county. The
ing of the fort will be found in Penn'a Ar
chiyes, Vol. 2, p. 667, and are dated 18th
June, 1856. He was then building the fort
at Armstrong called Fort Halifax. On the
first of July Col. Clapham writes that he is
engaged embarking the regiment and stores
for Shamokin, and expected to encamp on
the west side of the Susquehanna five miles
from Halifax that night. On the 18Th,
from minute Of council of officers held
at the camp at Shamokin, find among the
names of officers, Levi Trump, John Ham
bright, VIM. Plunkett, Samuel j. Atlee,
Samuel Miles, &c. August II, Col. G.
writes that he has the walls of the fort
above, half finished, and our other works
in such a situation that we can make q
good defence against any body of French
or Indians that shall seat themselves before
us without cannon. On the 4th of Septem-
Der, Peter Bard writes "rhe fort 10 now
almost finished, and a fine one it is and
last Sunday morning one of our people who
attended the cattle went TO the spring about
half mile from the fort, and while he was
drinking was shot, aud afterward scalped
and tomshawked. A party was sent aher
them, but could not como up with them.
Michael McGueee was the principal car
penter in building the fort, and according
to Col, Clapham's letter it had mounted d
four pound cannon, and 2 swivels, and by
a return dated October l9, there was 800
men in garrison. In the latter part of No
vember, Col. @. writes that two bushels of
grass seed are necessary wherewith to sow
the slopes of the parapet and glacis, aud
the banks of the river. In eight or nine
days the ditch will be carried quite around
the parapet-the barrier gates finished and
erected, and the pickets OF the glacis COM
pleted, when / expect 10 report to you in
person at Philadelphia. He soon resigned
and Major James Burd was in command
until 18th December, 1857, when Capt. Jo-
seph Shippen took command. On the 9th
Fehrnsru 17HQ thsra usra 30S man in On y.