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

OF the same territory previously granted by
him to the proprietors of the New England
grant. The New England settlers claimed
Wyoming under the grant of 1862; the
Pennamites claimed it under the grant of |
1851, from the same king This was the |
ground of controversy, and out of this con-
troversy, and from the efforts made on both |
sides to effect settlement of the disputed |
territory, each side to the exclusion of the
other the struggle between the claimants
arose.
The orator then referred to the action of
the town Of Westmorelanl, and of the adop-
tion at town meeting, held August Sth,
l775, of the following
Voted, That this town has but of late
been incorporated and invested with the
privileges of the law, both civil and military
and now in a capacity Of acting in conunc-
tion with our neighboring towns, within
this and the other colonies, in opposing We
late measures adopted by Parliament to en-
slave America also, this town having taken
into consideration the late plan adopted by
|
pressve aud unconstit utional acts of depri-
wing us of our property, and of binding us
in all cases, without exception, whether we
consent or not is considered by us highly
injurious to American or English freedom (;
therefore, we do consent to and acquiesce in
the late proceedings and advice of the Con-
tinental Congress, and do rejoice that those
measures are adopted and so universally re-
ceived throughout the continent, and, in
conformity with the eleventh article of the
association, we do now appoint committee
to attentively observe the conduct of all per-
sons within this town touching the rules and
regulations prescribed by the honorable
Continental Congress and will unanimously
Join our brethren in America in the COM
mon cause of defending our liberty.
} The speaker then referred to the move
ment at this time to expel the Connecticut
settlers from Wyoming, and said that at a
town meeting, held March 10th, 1776, it was
t voted that the first man that shall make
fifty weight Of good saltpetre, in this town
5 shall be entitled to a bounty of ten pound,
h lawful money, to be paid out of the town
II treasury"
u Mrs. Bethiah jenkins, wife of Lieutenant
>, John jenkins, says the women took up thei
u floors dug out the earth, put it in casks, anC
ran water through it, as ashes are leached
- They then took ashes, in another cask, ant
made ley, mixed the water from the eartl
j with the ley, boiled it, set it out to cool, anC
10 the saltpetre rose to the surface. Charcoa
1t and sulphur were then pounded and mixeC
1t with the satpetre and powder was thus pro
duced for the public defence.
u At the first news of the conflict at Concor,
. and Lexington, many of the young men o
=. Wyoming FASTENED to Join the Colonial for
= ces, near Boston, to resist the encroachment
'o of the British Government and maintain
W their liberties, aud some of them arrived il
w time to take part and fall in the battle O
IL Bunker Hill
August 24th, 1776, it was deemed necess
" ary to erect suitable forts for defence, and
stockade was erected around the house @
j. John jenkins, which was called "Jenkins
10 Fort" This was in Exeter township, no,
West Pittston, about ten or twelve rod
IA above the northwest end of the Pittston Fel
~ ry bridge
!" Elisha Scovell and some other inhabitant
u of Exeter township joined with the Win
= termoots, the Van Alstynes, and other
f. from Montague township, Sussex count!
New Jersey, in building fort mile {
more below, on the brow of the plain, wher
'' fine spring flowed from the foot of the hi
. forming the plain, which was named 'WiI
u termoot Fort
aS The inhabitants of Kingston erected to
us an acre or more in extent, on he west ban
nc of the Susquehanua in that township,
IL the town plot, near the centre Of the tow
M which was named Forty Fort" from II
ny fact that the township was originally settle
by forty proprietors and divided equal
les amongst them.
n Upper Wilkesbarre had its fort Just abo'
he the mouth of Mill creek, built to guard al
of control the mills erected on that strear
OF called "Wikesbarre Fort
We There was a fort in the town plot
nd Wilkesbarrc, situated on the river bank iu
IN. below South street, called "Wyomir
ed Fort"
ed The inhabitants of Hadover erected
ld. block house on the bank of the river, sor
m three miles below Wikesbarre, called "Ste
ad arts Block House" Shawnee, or Plymou
an had only a pretencc for fort.
vas Besides these was the stockade at Pittst
so on the east side of the river, nearly oppos
Did Jenkins Fort.
lu The orator after referring to the part tax
ELL by the two companies raised in WyomiI
my in the battle of Nlstone said that in
lu- fall of l777, many of the settlers on the r
AXIS er above Wyoming began to give evider
of their sympathy with the British Grow
or a number of suspected persons were arrest
ave and the year l77S brought great distrust a
nv, tear to the frontiers generally, but parti
LA larly to Wyoming, The defeat and SURF
ht- der Of Burgoyne at Saratoga had left
ing British without sufficient available force
,er- America TO carry ON q regular campaign
that year, and, as the war was to be contiI
led ed, the ouly resource left to the British G.
the ernment and her commanders was to emp
'ars the Indians and Tories almost exclusive
ng- in carrying ON Il war Of desolation on
the frontier. This was their declared Policy,i
the it was at once suspected and that Wyom
all would be among the first to be attacked,
in none were so hated and exposed as the P
ude Pile on the Susquehanna, They had b
in among the first to declare against Brit
sea usurpations, and had been the most act
and earnest in supplying men and meau'
lin support that declaration.
the After referring to the rumors Of Ind
ma. depredations, the battle of Cobleskill on
rles lst of June, aud also to the fact that Gu,