The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-07-12

the tawny savage. lie laughed their pitiful
appeals to scorn, and with fendish grin
OF pleasure plyed the knife aud tore the reek-
ing scalps from their heads.
The speaker then referred to the killing of |
of citizens by the Indians, and of the efforts
OF the settlers on the ID of July to gather a
sufficient force to protect themselves at For |
ty Fort and other forts, but, on the Sd of |
July, l77S, the position of affairs was as fol.
lows
The upper part of the valley on the west
side of the river, was in the hands of the
enemy, numbering 100 men, well armed
and equipped, thirstng for conquest and
blood
So complete and effective was their pos
session, that no person han been able to pass
their lines to give information of their
numbers, position or purpose.
jenkins Fort, on the Susquehanna, Just
above the west end of the Pittston Ferry
bridge, was in their possession, having ca.
| pituated the day before, but possession had
not been taken until this morning.
Wintermoot Fort, situate on the bank of
the plain, about a mile and a half below and
about half mile from the river, had been
in their possession all the day before, and
was used as their headquarters
Forty Fort some four miles further down
the river, situate on the west bank of the
Susquehanna river, was the largest aud
strongest fort in the Valley. Thither had
fled all the people on the west side OF the
river, on the 1st and I'd, and this was to be
the gathering point of the patriotic band
The Wilkesbarre and Pttston Forts were
the gathering points for the people in their
immediate neighborhood.
The forces such as they were, were dis.
tributed throughout the Valley somewhat as
follows
The kingston company, commanded by
Capt. Aholiab Buck, numbering about forty
men, was at Forty Fort.
The Shawnee company. command, Il h,
Capt, Asaph Whittlesey, numbering about
forty-four men, was at Forty Fort.
The Hanover company, commanded l.,
Capt. VIM. Mckarrachen, numbering about
thirty, was at home in Hanover.
The upper Wikesbarre company, CON
t manded BY Captain Rein Geer, numbering
r about thirty men, was at Wilkesbarre
| The lower Wilkesbarre company, com
manded by Capt. James Bidlack, Jr., mum
| bering about thirty.eight men, was at Wilkes
l barre.
| The Pittston company, commanded b,
| Captain jeremiah Blanchard, numberin,
| about forty men, was at Pttston Fort.
The Huntington and Salem company
commanded by Captain John Franklin
4 numbering about thirty five men, was a
f home.
. These were the militia, or train bands, Q
the settlement, and included all who wer
, able to bear arms, without regard to age
n Old men and boys were enrolled in them.
# Then there was Captain Detrick Hewitt
company, formed and kept together unde
+. the resolution of Congress, to which refel
a ence has already been made.
# Besides these, there were a number VIII
), were not enrolled in any of the companie
~ numbering about one hundred and in ad
: dition, there were number in the vale
who had been driven from the settlement
up the river, making, altogether in the va
% ley, a force of men Of all ages and boy
numbering about four hundred.
The speaker, after reciting the difficult,
+, under which the men in the forts lahore,
~ their attempt to obtain reinforcements sal
% that on the Sd Of July, Major John Butt,
II demanded the surrender of Forty Fort. II
: demand was refused by Colonel Deniso
who asked for time, aud in the meantin
Vt messengers were sent out for reinforcement
!, Ii the meantime some of the men becan
- mutinOus, but at last it was decided to lea
;, the fort and meet the enemy, and after Il
~ settlers had formed their line Of battle, th,
a marched in single line as formed, nearly
l., mile, and to within forty or fifty rods of Il
= tort, their right still resting on the hill al
u their left extending about 1900 feet iowa
- the marsh, and to within 400 feet OF
where they halted and sent forward scou
~ for further reconnaissance On the advan
of Of the scouts Indians would pop up, fire
80 them and flee, some in one direction, sol
in another.
" The speaker then described in grapt
manner, the battle that ensued, the death
" every captain in the line the flight of $,
nc tiers, the turlures of the captives by
W, indians, a..
u The inscription on the front tablet of t
monument IS ;ls follows
on Near this spot was fought,
''' on the afternoon of Friday, the third day
July, l77s,
&" THE BATTLE OF WYOMING.
~ In which a small body of patriotic Anne
cans,
~ chiefly the uudisciplined, the youthful q
'0' the aged,
II, spared, by ineiHciency, from the disti
W, ranks of the Republic,
'"u led by Col. Xebulon Bitler and Col. Natl
u" Denison,
H 'Hn with courage that deserved success.
'He boldly met and bravely fought
e ~ a combined British, Tory and Indian fc
''' of thrice their number.
" -" Numerical superiority alone gave sue
y" w to the invader, and widespread havo
IVY desolation and ruin, marked his
~ savage and bloody footsteps
~, w, through the Valley.
'"' THE MONUMENT,