The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-07-11
WYOMING CENTENNIAL,
COMMEMORATING THE MASSA-
CRED MARTYRS ON SUsQUE-
HANNA'S BANKS,
President Hayes and Great Crowd Present and
Suffering from the IntOleraBle Heat.


and on the other Is Wllkesbare. If one wishes to
go to the former scene OF romance he had better
come to the latter prosaic abode Of reality; from
the happy hunting grounds Of some old Indian
chief to these dominiOns Of old "King Coal" who
is to-day omnipOtent in this part of the country.
He may thereby find himself in the region of
good hotels and the comforts which city Of some
thirty thousand inhabitants brings with 1t, in
stead of being stranded in q secluded little ham
let which seems hardly to have recovered from
It's blightng experience Of century ago, and
which, being only some five miles distant, the
curious traveller may easily reach. The centen'
nial celebration fever has been raging in the Wy
oming Valley for year or more, and will spend
itself to-day and tomorrow, During the past
week the inhabitants of Wilkesbarre, Kingston,
Wyoming, PittstOn and the surrounding country
have devoted their energies to the purchase and
use Of bunting and evergreens. They have erect
ed arches over their chief thoroughfares, decOrat
ed their shops, houses and public buildings with
all kinds of gay ornamentation, and seem to be
entirely absorbed in COmmemOrating the heroic
deeds OF their ancestors. They certainly deserve
credit for the enthusiasm they show and the zeal
they have aroused among the inhabitants Of all
this section of the country, who have been arriv.
ing since yesterday morning by thOusand DIS, Per-
haps, before saying anything further as to what
is going on to-day, your correspondent should
give q few words on the subject of century ago
The battle of Wyoming or as it is generally
known, the Massacre Of Wyoming, was the re-
suit Of conflict that had existed for several
years between the patriots and loyalists Of the
valley, and which eliminated on the Sd and 4th
Of July, 1878. The Delawares, and after them the
Five Nations, the Indian proprietOrs Of the Wy
oming Valley had always manifested hostile
spirit toward the white settlers which had in 1868
brought on an engagement in which large mum
ber Of the latter were killed or driven back to the
East But after few years the Proprietaries Of
Pennsylvania made treaty with the Indians and
resumed the settlement of the valley, In the early
years of the Revolutionary War there were many
Tories among the white inhabitants, and the
party feeling among neighborS, and even men,
bers Of the same family was bitter In the extreme,
The patriots were In a amajority, and succeeded
in driving away from their homes, and with
much cruelty, most of their Tory associates. Mar.
tial spirit had been stirred among all the inhabit-
ants, and most of the able-bodied men enlisted In
the Continental Army, and left their homes to the
aged, the women and the children. The Tories
who had been expelled from the valley, taking
advantage Of the exposed condition Of the coun-
try, organized in the early summer Of 1778 an ex-
pedition, consisting Of body Of Colonel John
Buffers Rangers, q detachment Of British troops
and some seven hundred Indians, the entire force
numbering / 100 men, The Indians were infamed
with their old hostility against the whites and
the Tories were eager to avenge the wrongs they
had suffered. Colonel Z9bulon Butler happened
to be at home when the news Of the impending
attack first reached the people of Wyoming. He
hastily organized such forces as he could collect
consisting of a company OF forty or fifty troops
some improvised militia and the old men and
boys aud marched out to meet the Indians ex-
pectiDg to surprise them, on the afternoon of the
Sd of July. He found, however, that the enemy
were prepared for him and considerably outDum-
bered him. The battle was brief and disastrous
The Americans were Outhanked and attacked
from every quarter and completely routed In
this battle almost every officer was killed and but
fragment Of the forces escaped to the fort where
most Of the women and children were collected
During the night the Indians and Tories burned
and pillaged the houses of the inhabitants, and
undoubtedly committed many atrocities. On the
morning of the 4th Colonel DenisOn in command
of the Americans, surrendered the fort Colonel
| Butler agreeing to make terms in accordance
with the usages of civilized warfare; but the In,
dians paid no attention to these terms and con.
| tinued bulning and plundering the houses and
numbering the defenceless people, of whom SOC
were killed or died Of exposure in the woods
Such in brief is the account of the battle Of Wy
| oming the centennial anniversary OF which thou
sands of people from every part Of the cSuntry are
to-day engaged in COMMUNICATING Some forty
| years ago monument Of granite measuring q
feet at the base and 62 feet high, Was erected IN
| the midst OF what Is now a peaceful farm, the
scene Of this heroic struggle and sacrifice Of patr
OF blood 1t is rectangular In shape, and on three
\ .A-g.. 1ark A1,,g,
lives. On the fourth side facing the north, is the
inscription as follows
Near this spot was fought in the afternoon Oi
July 8, 17TS the battle of Wyoming, In which q
small band of patriotic Americans,chiehy the un'
disciplined, the youthful and the aged, spared by
ineffciency from the distant ranks of the repub
lic led by Colonel ZebulOn Butler and Colonel
Nathan DenisOn, with courage that deserved
| success, fearlessy met and bravely fought com
| bined British, Tory and Indian force Of thrice
their number
Numerical superiority alone gave success to the
| invader, and widespread havoc, desolation and
ruin marked his savage and bloody footsteps
through the valley.
This monument, commemorative of these events
and in memory OF of the actors in them, has been
erected over the bones of the slain by their des
cendants and others, who gratefully appreciate
the services aud sacrifices Of their patriotic an
cestOrs.
To return to the celebration ofto-day, a glance
at the throngs Of country people from this section
of Pennsylvania who form the principal part Of
the multitude, does not impress the observer
with any idea beyond their determination to en-
Joy themselves in their own fashion and without
reference to the historical interest Of the occasion
Thomas Campbell! Who was he2 Gertrude Of
Wyomingl There are several Of that name and
more in Wyoming, and like their original, leach
succeeding look was lOvelier than the last" The
blue-eyed German who has changed his sword
TO pruning hook" wants to see President Hayes
visit all the refreshment stands and get all the
beer he can. He and all his friends have come
down to have good time, For the historic inter-
est of the occasion they care nothing They have
seen this beautiful valley $50 much that its glorious
scenery is never thought Of. They would rather
dance on q sanded floor than look at the Susque
hanna or the everlasting hills. Yesterday the
committees were all busy arranging details for to-
day, putting up temporary buildings and tents
with the inevitable inscription, "l77S-1S7S, like
nesses Of Penn, franklin, and the American eagle
and other ornamental features appropriate TO the
scene and the time. When your correspondent
went to the Wyoming ground he found much in
terest manifested in the expected arrival Of a
company Of "live Indians" The small boys ap-
petite had been whetted by the appearance Of a
solitary Indian (not taxed), who was said to have
come down the Susquehanna on sort of raft
alone, q hundred miles or more. Whether he said
"ughp or whether his name was "Young.man.
afraid- -ofwashing- -his-face" could not be learned
The rest of the band came to-day, with paint
feathers, nose rings, and other barbarie adorn.
ments, and divided the honors of the public gaze
with the "Great Father" who arrived this morn.
ing, accompanied by his squaw, papooses, and
'big Injuns' Devens and Sherman. A sham bat.
tie between the indians and some militia compa.
MES who are here is promised late this afternoon
but II is very doubtful If this part of the pro.
gramme will be carried out. Your correspondent
was fortunate enough to meet youth who bore
mid sun and dust a buckthorn cane with the de.
vice engraved on gold hsndle), Presented 10
President Hayes by the ladies Of Wyoming Val.
ley" The youth said that this weapon was to be
delivered to His Excellency by no less person
than Miss Anna Dickinson on the Fourth OF July
and added that his father had cut 100 similar
canes from the battlefield of Wyoming and offer
ed to dispose of one OF them for the moderate
sum Of 70 cents, There is, therefore, ro immedi.